DETECTIVES have been given extra time to quiz a murder suspect over the fatal stabbing of a Swindon man.

Officers now have until late this afternoon to either charge or release the 32-year-old man, who comes from the Swindon area.

The suspect was arrested shortly after the victim, a 34-year-old man, died from chest injuries following an attack on Saturday afternoon.

The man was discovered bleeding profusely, but still alive, in the rear of a house in County Road at 3.30pm.

He died at Great Western Hospital two hours later.

Police say he left a trail of blood leading along alleyways to the rear of the house.

Officers have revealed that they do not believe the man who is expected to be named later today was the victim of a random mugging.

Police spokeswoman Jacqueline Broadbridge said: "He had possessions on him that were not stolen, and common sense would dictate that it was not a random robbery."

Police have now managed to track down the victim's family, who were told of the man's death yesterday.

Relatives are due to formally identify his body this morning.

The results of a post-mortem examination have confirmed that he died after being stabbed in the chest.

A squad of around 40 officers is today continuing to hunt for the killer, but mystery still surrounds the circumstances of the man's death.

Detective Inspector James Vaughan, of Swindon police, said: "We haven't established a motive, and have not yet found a weapon.

"It is not yet clear where the man was attacked.

"We have now received some calls following our appeals for information, and are trawling through hundreds of items found in the alleyways.

"This incident happened in daylight, and somebody must have seen something.

"I would ask anyone who saw an injured man in the County Road and Manchester Road area to contact us."

Door-to-door inquiries are continuing and officers are studying CCTV footage in the hope of gleaning clues as to the identity of the killer.

Officers were granted an extra 36 hours to hold the man after applying for a warrant from Swindon magistrates.

They could still apply for a further 24 hours.

A 45-year-old man also arrested shortly after the attack has since been released without charge.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the injured man, or knows anything about the assault, to come forward.

The victim is described as white, 6ft 2in tall, with short, dark hair and was wearing jeans, trainers and possibly a navy-coloured blouson-style jacket.

Call the incident room on 01793 528111 ex 570 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Tamash Lal