Manchester police probe knife killing of teenager

British police have launched a murder inquiry after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Manchester, Greater Manchester, the British olice said.

The police found the teenager with serious stab wounds to the stomach after being called to the scene of a disturbance in the city's Salford district late yesterday. The 17-year-old died later in hospital.

"Officers want to hear from any witnesses who could assist the investigation," a police spokesman said.

Official figures released in July showed there were more than 22,000 serious offences involving knives in England and Wales in the year to end-March 2008, though crime fell significantly overall.