Three die in night of violence in North-west

Police yesterday launched separate murder inquiries after three men were stabbed to death during the course of a bloody night in Greater Manchester.

The killings highlighted a spate of urban murders in recent months, which have pushed the issue of violent crime higher on the political agenda.

The victims, aged 21, 24 and 30, were murdered in unrelated knife attacks.

One attack occurred in the city's notorious Moss Side district, while the others took place in Bolton and Hattersley.

A total of seven people, aged between 17 and 25, have been arrested on suspicion of the Hattersley murder, after a 21-year-old was attacked in the early hours yesterday.

In a second incident, a routine police patrol spotted a group of men arguing in Bolton. After stopping to investigate, they discovered a 30-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. Three men, including an 18-year-old, were arrested on suspicion of his murder.

The 24-year-old died after another unrelated stabbing incident at a community centre in the Moss Side area, around 1am.