Man, 21, is killed in weekend of London stabbings

The 21-year-old victim suffered wounds to the arm and chest following an argument in the early hours of this morning. Scotland Yard said they were called by the London Ambulance Service after paramedics found two men with injuries.

Police arrived at the scene in Durrant Street in Bethnal Green just after 3am. The victim was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he died an hour later. A spokesman for the Met said the other man, who is in 20s, was treated for head injuries. He was then arrested as part of the investigation after being discharged from hospital and is being questioned at an east London police station.

Only a day earlier a man was injured after being stabbed at a bus stop in Putney. The victim, in his twenties, was attacked while waiting for a bus at 5am in Putney Heath after getting into a fight with a youth carrying a knife.

Forensic teams have searched the area looking for clues and residents said they were now too scared to leave home after dark.

One resident, whose house overlooks the scene, said: "These things are happening everywhere now. There are so many knives around. Something like this happens every day. I am not too surprised and now I will not go on the train late at night.

"After 10pm I will take a taxi because I do not want to walk on the streets."

A Met spokesman said the victim was in a stable condition in hospital and two men have been arrested in connection with the attack. Both have been taken to a south London police station where they remain in custody.

He said: "We have nothing as regards to motive and no information on any suspects. No arrests have been made."

Police are also hunting a gang of teenagers after two security guards were stabbed while chasing a gang of suspected teenage shoplifters in the West End.

They were trying to catch eight boys who had allegedly stolen clothes from the Nike Town in Oxford Circus. Only one of the suspects produced a knife and was responsible for the injuries to both men who were stabbed outside the store.

The knifeman lost his T-shirt in the scuffle on Saturday evening and was last seen running shirtless up Oxford Street towards Tottenham Court Road.

One guard, 33, was treated in hospital for stab wounds to the left arm and lower back but has been discharged.

His colleague, 21, was treated at the scene after being knifed in the leg and another female guard, 22, was also punched in the face.

All eight of the suspects escaped despite blanket CCTV coverage of the West End.

Police say the gang are in their early to mid-teens and no arrests have been made.