A man stabbed to death outside his New Malden home was heard “crying and begging” during a fight late last night, neighbours say.

Neighbours heard the Korean man in an argument with another man at about 10.30pm, before he was stabbed and left bleeding to death in the rear garden of the Kingston Road house.

Despite being rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting the wounded man, who police are still trying to identify, was pronounced dead at 3am.

One shocked neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she saw a young girl being handcuffed and put into a police car following the attack.

She said: “I’d been outside at about 10.15pm to put the bins out and there was a man outside the house on a phone.

“My son came in 20 minutes later and said there were police vans outside.

“There were four police cars out there when I went to bed, as well as two ambulances.

“We had a policeman come round to talk to us and they said there were about 10 people living there - there were always people coming and going.”

The victim’s next door neighbour said she heard a man with a strong English accent shouting just before the attack took place.

She said: “There was a Korean man as well who was crying and begging, whose English wasn’t very good.

“I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“Two months ago he had a big argument with his wife but they’re normally really quiet - you wouldn’t know they were there.

“I went round to say hello when they moved in about 18 months ago but they didn’t speak very good English, and we didn’t see them very often.”

A murder investigation has been launched by police following the death, with a post mortem examination due to take place at Kingston mortuary today.

Police said they were keeping an open mind regarding motive.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, and are being held in custody at police stations across south London.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det Insp Dave Willis at the Homicide and Serious Crime Command on 020 8721 4155 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

• Do you know more? Let us know by email here, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9555 or leave a comment below.