Surrey train stabbing: Murder suspect still at large Published duration 5 January 2019

image copyright PA

The hunt for a murder suspect in Surrey is continuing after a train passenger was killed in front of his son.

The 51-year-old victim died after suffering multiple knife wounds during a "vicious fight" on board a Guildford to London train on Friday afternoon.

Police said the assailant, who fled the train, is black, in his 20s or 30s, about 6ft tall, slim, with a beard and dressed all in black with white shoes.

The public has been warned not to approach him but to call 999 instead.

The victim and the attacker had both boarded the train at London Road station in Guildford at about 13:00 GMT, but police believe the pair were not known to each other.

Supt Paul Langley, from British Transport Police, said the victim's 14-year-old son would have seen his father being attacked.

"This would have been an horrific and hugely traumatic event to have witnessed and we are providing him with as much support as possible," he said.

image copyright PA image caption Forensics officers took items away from Horsley station

He said the suspect left the train at Clandon station, Surrey, five minutes after boarding the services. Officers boarded the train at the next stop, Horsley, after the alarm was raised.

Supt Langley said the suspect, who fled towards Dedswell Drive, was spotted a number of times in the area.

He added: "We have a number of officers in the area working hard to trace the man responsible for this violent and deadly attack.

"We are working close with Surrey Police and the National Police Air Service who are helping us to locate him."

An eyewitness to the killing told the BBC there had been a "vicious fight" on the train.

A social media user who said she had been on the train praised the "incredible" response of the guards and driver.

She wrote: "I was on this train, how those guards and especially that train driver went into action was nothing short of incredible."

image copyright PA image caption A private ambulance was seen arriving at Horsley station o n Friday evening

Oliver Thompson, a 16-year-old student living in Clandon, said he was stopped by police in the area at roughly 14:30 and asked if he had seen a "man running from the station".

A little later he saw police helicopters circling the area before being joined by "a police van with high-powered lights" as night fell.

"It is definitely unnerving to think there is a murderer maybe somewhere in the village."

image caption Horsley station was closed for several hours while forensic investigations took place

Matt Phelps, 35, who works at a business on Epsom Road in West Clandon, said there were three helicopters circling overhead when they locked up and went home.

"To think there was someone like that potentially hiding around the corner somewhere certainly made us want to pack up and go home quicker than usual," he said.

After the attacker left the train at Clandon, emergency services were called to help the injured man when the train reached Horsley.

image copyright PA image caption Emergency teams were at the scene for several hours

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling described the stabbing as "tragic" and said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the victim and their family."

The train remained at Horsley station for several hours, blocking the line into London Waterloo.

Rail services were suspended between Guildford and Effingham Junction for nearly seven hours while police carried out investigations.

South Western Railway said all lines had now reopened again with services returning to normal.