England footballer Jermain Defoe said today that he was "shocked and saddened" after his cousin was stabbed to death.

It is understood Allan Edgar, who was in his 70s, was knifed in the neck during a robbery in St Lucia.

Defoe, who is a striker for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, said: "I am shocked and saddened by the tragic news of my cousin's murder in the close-knit town which my family is from in St Lucia.

"I want to again highlight the desperate need for us to pull together - the world over - to tackle knife crime and teach everyone how sacred a life is."

His mother, Sandra St Helen, from Chigwell, Essex, said: "It was a very close relative. I was with my cousin a couple of months ago. We are a big family."

Mr Edgar was the 29-year-old footballer's first cousin twice removed.

Defoe's half-brother, Jade, 26, was killed in a street attack in April 2009. He died from head injuries four days after being attacked in Leytonstone, east London.