A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 35-year-old was stabbed to death as he slept in what detectives believe was a targeted attack.

Ebrima Cham, known as Brim, was attacked after three men broke into his friend’s flat in Hounslow, west London, where he was staying.

The man was arrested at his London home on Sunday morning on suspicion of murder.

Metropolitan police officers were called to the scene on Grove Road at about 11.30am on Thursday, but despite the efforts of the emergency services, Cham was pronounced dead a short time later.

His family said in a statement: “You read about murders in the news and you think ‘It will never be us,’ let alone when Brim should have been safe in a flat.

“We haven’t slept since Thursday, we feel numb with pain and there are so many questions, not least, ‘Why?’

“Today we are three days from Christmas and a time for family celebration and peace. But our celebrations have, through the actions of others, morphed into our time of mourning the loss of our Brim for ever more.”

Police have asked anybody who may have dashcam footage from the area to come forward.

DCI Noel McHugh, who is leading the investigation, said: “There’s no doubt Brim was the victim of a targeted attack. We are very keen to build up a picture of what was going on in Brim’s life. Who was he associating with? He was murdered in a friend’s flat; where else had he been staying in the last two weeks?

“Brim never stood a chance, he was asleep before this ferocious attack. There will naturally be a lot of talk on the street about Brim’s murder and your call could be the missing link to get justice for his family.”

A 44-year-old man was previously arrested on suspicion of murder and has since been released. He was not one of the three men who forced their way into the house, police said.

Cham was one of seven men stabbed to death in London in as many days.