Seven killed in a brutal 24 hours

The Government has blamed the perception of knives and guns as status symbols for the rising levels of street violence (Reuters)

Seven people have been stabbed to death within 24-hours in apparently unrelated incidents.

A 19-year-old youth, who has not been named, suffered multiple stab wounds after being knifed in a confrontation yesterday at a bedsit in Gloucester Road, Edmonton.

Later in the day a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death after a confrontation with a gang of men. He has been named locally today as Adnan Patel. He died from a stab wound to the chest after crashing his Ford Focus in Downsell Road, Leyton, east London.

Detectives are investigating whether he was fleeing from the occupants of a van who stabbed him in an apparent road rage attack moments earlier.

Paramedics were called as passers-by gave emergency first aid and tried to stem the bleeding but Mr Patel died at the scene.

Four people arrested shortly after the attack at about 5.30pm yesterday remained in custody today in east London police stations.

A 22-year-old woman witness said: "A woman who looked like a trained nurse was putting pressure on his wound on his chest."

It was believed a young boy had been in the car with the victim and had run to get help.

In Walthamstow, north-east London, a man also aged in his 20s was fatally stabbed in an attack in St David's Court.

Police found the victim with stab wounds to the head and chest shortly after 8.30pm last night.

Paramedics fought to save his life at the scene but he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Finally, in Tottenham, north London, a murder inquiry was launched after a man was found stabbed to death at the rear of a disused pub in Tottenham High Road.

The victim, thought to be in his 40s, was suffering from head injuries and slash wounds. He died at the scene.

Officers were alerted when a member of the public attended Tottenham police station at about 4am yesterday.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident in Edmonton, four people remained in custody over the Leyton stabbing and two men and a woman were arrested after the events in Tottenham.

Meanwhile, stabbings were not just confined to the capital.

A 25-year-old man was arrested during the night in connection with the murder of a man found stabbed outside a house in Nottingham and a woman was knifed to death at a house in Liverpool, police said today.

Detectives launched a murder inquiry after they were called to a house in Bulwell, Nottingham, on Wednesday, where they found a 25-year-old man who had been stabbed several times. The man was taken to the city's Queen's Medical Centre by ambulance, but died as a result of his injuries.

And a 49-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the second murder in Morningside, Crosby, at 9pm.

Police said this morning that they believed it was a domestic incident but were trying to piece together the last known movements of the victim - thought to be in her mid-40s.

Forensics officers are studying the house and the area has been cordoned off for house-to-house inquiries.

A brutal 24 hours concluded with the death of Thomas Coombes Duffield in West Bromwich late last night. The father-to-be was fatally stabbed after an argument which friends say was caused by a woman who had been 'spreading rumours'.

Police have arrested a man and a woman, both aged 21, in connection with the murder.