Father held over three-year-old son's death in London

A father of two suspected of stabbing his three-year-old son to death before turning the knife on himself has been arrested in hospital.

Neighbours dialled 999 after hearing a furious row at a flat in Southwark, south east London, on Monday evening.

Police officers arrived at the Lynton Estate property to find the boy's body.

The 31-year-old man remained under guard in hospital after undergoing surgery for stab wounds to his neck and body.

Police refused to confirm if officers were questioning him.

The man's 28-year-old wife was taken to hospital suffering a stab wound to the neck. She has since been discharged. A 17-month-old girl was found unharmed. Investigators believe the man, who has not been named, attacked his wife after she said she wanted a divorce.

Neighbours spoke of their shock on hearing the news of the death of the four-year-old and on seeing paramedics battling to keep the father alive. They said those involved were a friendly, private family who regularly attended a local church and had lived in the flat for about a year.