Horrified witnesses revealed how a man screamed 'help, they're after me' as he fled barefoot from a house after being stabbed six times before bleeding to death in the street.

The man - who has been named by police today as Spanish national David Martinez, 26 - was helped by onlookers who tried to stem his wounds.

As the crowd attempted to give him CPR, a suspect fled the scene in Leyton, east London, according to a witness.

The woman, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline: 'He got stabbed at the flats over there - he came running for life. He was screaming for help and crying, he just kept repeating "help, help, help, they are after me".'

Police have confirmed the victim is David Martinez, 26, a Spanish national (pictured). Mr Martinez was helped by onlookers who tried to stem his wounds and give him CPR as a suspect fled the scene in Leyton, east London, according to a witness

A police spokesman said: 'At this early stage, it is believed the fatal attack on the man took place at a nearby residential address.

'The victim then left the scene before collapsing in the street. It is believed the victim and suspect were known to each other.

'The incident is not believed to be gang-related.'

Within hours of Mr Martinez's death, the 22-year-old victim of another knife attack in Oxford on February 27 died in hospital. He had been run over and repeatedly stabbed, police said.

The man was the 14th stabbing fatality in 16 days, including 17-year-olds Jodie Chesney and Yousef Makki, who were killed in separate incidents in London and Greater Manchester over the weekend.

In Coventry, a 14-year-old schoolgirl was chased by up to 15 other teenagers before being attacked with what one witness described as scissors. The victim's injuries are not life-threatening and a 16-year-old girl has been arrested.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is calling for more money to tackle knife crime, while Theresa May and Met Commissioner Cressida Dick recently clashed over whether a reduction in officer numbers had fuelled the problem.

A police tent set up behind the police cordon is covering the crime scene as forensic officers conduct their enquiries

Forensic officers remove items from the scene of yesterday's stabbing in Leyton, east London

Murder map: The shocking scale of knife deaths in Britain so far in 2019

Police officers fought in vain to save Mr Martinez, pleading with the dying man: 'My friend. Can you hear me? Talk to me.'

The unnamed female witness said: 'He ran towards here and then collapsed on the ground. I was inside and my husband who saw it came running in and said call an ambulance.

'We went outside and a woman was giving him CPR, so many people were trying to help him. He tried to get up but collapsed again, he was asking for water. He was bleeding so much he was turning blue.

'I was on the phone to the ambulance telling them they needed to come straight away - people were getting towels to soak up the blood - a girl had blood all over her hands. We were all in shock.'

She said a woman was asking the victim what his name was but 'all he could say was that he was Spanish'.

'When the paramedics arrived they took off his shirt and trousers - he had stab wounds all over his body, about six, in his chest, in his legs - there was one in the back of his head,' the witness continued.

'The paramedics opened his chest to try and save him - you could see his ribs and his heart. They did everything they could but it was too late.

'I asked if he was gone and they said "yes" - my husband is all over of the place because he looked him in the eye and said he would be OK. It's terrible.

'I was talking to people last night that saw a man running from the scene - they think he was involved.'

The female witness, translating for a man wearing a Union flag beanie hat, described the moment the victim was seen stumbling from the block of flats: 'He saw the door opening and it was the wounded man, at the door of the flat.

'He came out of the flat and somebody stopped behind him. He was asking them to call the police.'

The male witness said he then saw a man in a black jacket inside the block of flats who headed north towards the cemetery.

Despite frantic efforts by police, and witnesses who rushed to bring blankets to the injured man and gave him a cushion to rest his head, the man died at the scene in East Leyton at around 5.10pm.

Officers cut away his clothes and attempted to stem the flow of blood before paramedics arrived. One was heard to say as he cut away the trousers: 'He's been stabbed in the leg too.'

One officer begged the victim to stay awake, at one stage pleading: 'My friend. Mate, mate, mate, talk to me. Can you hear me.'

Another officer says: 'Are you with me? No, he's going.'

An officer mans a cordon today on North Birkbeck Road in Leyton, where a man was stabbed to death last night

A police officer inspects one of the floral tributes left for the stabbing victim in Leyton today

Composite picture of some of the people who have lost their lives to knife crime this year. Top row, from left: Tudor Simionov, Jaden Moodie, Nedim Bilgin, Lejean Richards, Dennis Anderson. Middle row, from left: Patrick Hill, Sidali Mohamed, Bright Akinleye, Abdullah Muhammad, Glendon Spence. Bottom row, from left: Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, Hazrat Umar, Che Morrison, Jodie Chesney, Yousef Ghaleb Makki

Security worker Waqas Sadiq, 33, told MailOnline: 'When I came outside I saw a guy lying on the ground - he was a white guy between 20 and 25, he was lying down on his back.

'There were officers and paramedics trying to save him, I saw he had two stab wounds on the right side of his chest.

Sadiq Khan rolls his eyes when probed on knife crime funding Major of London Sadiq Khan today rolled his eyes when he faced questions from a Sky News reporter about funding for the fight against knife crime. Mr Khan claimed he had done 'as much as I am allowed to do under the law' by setting up a £45million youth fund and raising council taxes. But the Major insisted cuts in funding from central government had left him hamstrung. Sadiq Khan during today's interview on knife crime 'I've raised council tax three years in a row, but also used the money from business rates to invest in policing and youth services,' he told Sky. 'The investment we are putting in doesn't fill the massive hole left by the Government.' At this point Sky's Sarah-Jane Mee interrupted, saying: 'You keep shifting it onto central government.' Mr Khan then rolled his eyes in frustration, before the presenter asked why he wasn't 'taking personal responsibility' for the issue. Advertisement

'He was breathing at the time and the paramedics were giving him injections near the stab wounds.

'Then at about 5pm or 5.10pm he took his last breath - he put his hands in the air and that was it, the paramedic took out the breathing device. That was his last moment.'

Mr Sadiq said there were 'about 15 people' surrounding the man when he died.

'People said he was chased down the street from his home and he just collapsed in the street,' he said.

'He wasn't wearing trousers or shoes, just a shirt. When the paramedics lifted him on his side I could see a lot of stab wounds in his back. There was a lot of blood.'

One resident of North Birkbeck Road told how she saw the victim's body being covered by a sheet. 'It was terrible. The body was face-down and he was dead,' she said.

'It is so sad that a young life has been taken. Yet another stabbing. What is going on? Who is going to do something?'

Another resident said: 'My thoughts are with that poor man who is been killed and his family.'

Police say the victim knew the suspect and they do not believe the incident was gang related. No arrests have been made.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: 'Police are in the process of informing his next of kin. No arrests have been made. A crime scene remains in place. Enquiries continue. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. Formal identification awaits. Enquiries continue at the scene.

'The Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating and appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information concerning this incident is urge to call police via 101 quoting CAD 5145/6 March or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.'

On Tuesday, police announced they had arrested a man in Leicester in connection with the murder of Jodie Chesney.

Police say the victim knew the suspect and they do not believe the incident was gang related. No arrests have been made

Police at the scene of the Leyton stabbing today as the victim was named locally as David Martinez

Police riots shields partially cover blood stains on the pavement at North Birkbeck Road, where the stabbing happened

Jodie Chesney's devastated family call for 'justice' Jodie Chesney's heartbroken father has described his daughter as 'the nicest person ever' and that she 'wouldn't have done anything to deserve this - no way.' The 17-year-old Explorer Scout was murdered in a random and unprovoked attack as she sat with her boyfriend and three other friends in a park in Harold Hill. A man has been arrested in Leicester in connection with the murder. Her distraught father Peter Chesney, told Sky News today: ‘She was the nicest person any of us know or knew, everything about being kind and good and thoughtful. ‘There’s just no way you could do this to a nicer person. I mean, everybody is going to say that about their own kids obviously, but really, look what everyone is saying in other interviews and stuff, she really was just the nicest person ever. 'She would not have done anything to deserve this.’ The arrest came after police received a tip-off the suspects travelled to the east Midlands - nearly 115 miles away - following the brutal stabbing. Mr Chesney added: 'Someone knows who did this. Just do the right thing. 'You'll never know the pain you've caused and the beauty you've taken away. 'They've destroyed something beautiful here. It's a disgrace.' A man has been arrested in Leicester in connection with the murder of Jodie Chesney (pictured), who was stabbed in a park in east London last week. Image undated Advertisement

The 17-year-old Explorer Scout was murdered in a random and unprovoked attack as she sat with her boyfriend and three other friends in a park in Harold Hill.

Her father Peter Chesney said his daughter 'wouldn't have done anything to deserve this - no way'.

He told Sky News: 'Someone knows who did this. Just do the right thing. You'll never know the pain you've caused and the beauty you've taken away. They've destroyed something beautiful here. It's a disgrace.'

He added: 'She was the nicest person any of us know. Everything about her was about being kind and good and thoughtful.'

The arrest came after police received a tip-off the suspects travelled to the east Midlands - nearly 115 miles away - following the brutal stabbing.

The man, whose age has not been given, has been taken back to London for interview.

A boy, 17, has appeared in court charged with the murder of Manchester Grammar schoolboy Yousef Makki in the Cheshire village of Hale Barns.

Flowers at the scene in Leyton (left) and a blood smear near to where the body was found

The youngster's mother broke down in tears as he walked into Manchester's Youth Court for the two-minute hearing.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of the murder of 17-year-old Yousef Makki in the wealthy Cheshire village of Hale Barns on Saturday evening.

In Oxford, police are now investigating an attack on a 22-year-old man on February 27 as murder.

The victim was hit by a vehicle and stabbed several times. He died at John Radcliffe Hospital on Wednesday evening.

In Ipswich yesterday, a 17-year-old boy was arrested after a woman and young child died at a property in Ipswich. It is understood he is not suspected of murder or manslaughter.

The killings have prompted warnings of a 'national emergency' and sparked intense scrutiny of reductions in the size of the police workforce.

The number of officers in the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales has fallen by more than 20,000 since 2009.

Mrs May, who was home secretary from 2010 to 2016, argued earlier this week that there was 'no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers'.

But a string of senior figures in policing have lined up to dispute her assertion.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is in close contact with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick following this afternoon's fatal knife attack

Home Secretary Sajid Javid at the Home Office after he met with chief constables to discuss violent crime yesterday

Police launched a murder investigation following the stabbing in Leyton yesterday afternoon

Police and paramedics battled to save the man's life, who became the 21st murder in London this year

Lord Stevens, a former Metropolitan Police commissioner, told the BBC that he believed the PM had not been listening to police forces' concerns.

'I don't think she listens, quite frankly, to what she's being told,' she said.

On Wednesday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid acknowledged that police resources were important in tackling knife violence after holding emergency talks with chief constables.

Speaking after the meeting, he said: 'I think police resources are very important to deal with this. We've got to do everything we can.

'I'm absolutely committed to working with the police in doing this. We have to listen to them when they talk about resources.'

Senior Labour politicians, including police and crime commissioners, have written to the Prime Minister urging her to put 10,000 police officers back on the streets.

The joint letter, also signed by London mayor Sadiq Khan, said: 'There is not a town or city across the UK which hasn't been touched by the outbreak of serious youth violence.'

It said nationwide there had been a 93% rise in children under 16 being stabbed since 2013, taking knife crime to 'the highest level since records began'.

'This is a national crisis and it requires leadership from the top of government,' the letter added.

It called on the Prime Minister to 'drop this dangerous delusion' that police cuts were not correlated with certain crimes.

Mrs May announced she would host a summit on knife crime and said the Government was putting more resources into policing.

But Mr Khan said 'having a one-off knife summit by itself won't solve this issue'.

The London Air Ambulance, pictured, landed at the scene of yesterday's fatal stabbing on North Birbeck Road, E11. The victim, a man in his 20s, was declared dead at 5.10pm

Theresa May (seen in the Commons yesterday) has insisted the rise in stabbings was not directly linked to a reduction in police numbers

He told ITV's Peston: 'Of course I welcome any movement by the Prime Minister to address the issues that cause knife crime but I think a one-off summit may make great pictures, and may lead to one or two good soundbites, but by itself won't be enough.'

He said the reasons for the increase in violent crime were 'quite complex' and added: 'What I'd like to see is a joined-up public health approach in dealing with this very serious issue.'

At Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed the Prime Minister was trying to keep communities safe 'on the cheap'.

He said: 'Does the Prime Minister now regret cuts in police numbers and will she undertake that under this review they will be restored to the level they were formerly at?'

A proposed cash boost could see total police funding rise by nearly £1 billion in 2019/20, including money raised through council tax.

Asked whether the PM still believed there was no direct link between police numbers and violent crime, her official spokesman said: 'Clearly resources and powers are important.

'We have just given the police more resources and more powers and we always listen to what the police are saying.

'But it's hugely important that we don't just treat this as a policing issue, that we do look across society at things such as changes in the drugs market and address issues like gang culture with children being groomed into this lifestyle and carrying knives, and we look at public health.'

At the weekend two 17-year-olds, Jodie Chesney and Yousef Makki, were killed in separate stabbings in London and Greater Manchester

Later this week, police chiefs will present ministers with details of the resources they need for a 'surge' in capacity to combat the rise in violent crime.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has resisted calls for more funding to tackle knife crime by saying police should divert the resources they already had to the issue.

Mr Hammond said police forces need to move officers off 'lower priority' crime and onto knife violence.

His comments were labelled 'monstrous' by Labour, and an 'insult to grieving families'.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott asked Home Office minister Victoria Atkins: 'Does she accept that many people will find the fact that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is suggesting that all the police have to do is move resources from other areas to fight knife crime is monstrous, and an insult to grieving families?'

Ms Atkins did not directly address the question in her response, but pointed to the Government decision to 'increase police resources by nearly a billion pounds' last month.