The victim was found in the garden of a semi-detached house on Caldon Green by a member of the public at 3.20 pm on Wednesday.

Now there are fears that Britain's well-publicised battle against knife-crime, which has rocked London in recent months, has reached the Dispatch district.

The unnamed man, who suffered several stab wounds, was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre but died from his injuries.

Immediately prior to the attack, the victim was apparently having an argument with another man, who police are now keen to trace.

Police officers have launched a murder investigation and cordoned off part of the Caldon Green area as forensic teams moved in to examine the scene.

On Wednesday night, around 20 officers used metal detectors and rakes to search surrounding gardens for a murder weapon and house-to-house enquiries were carried out yesterday.

There is a CCTV camera yards from the scene, but it is not yet clear if anything was captured on it.

Robin Robinson, chairman of the Bulwell Hall Estate Tenants and Residents Association, said: "It is very sad that someone has lost their life and it is a terrible shock that it has happened on Bulwell Hall.

"It shouldn't happen anywhere in the country but you don't expect it on your own doorstep.

"I have had a number of phone-calls from people on the estate needing to be reassured. People are shocked and scared by this.

"But the police have been active in taking up a positive response to this. And we have asked them to be on display on the estate for the next couple of weeks at least. Residents need to be reassured of their safety, especially the elderly."

People living nearby say the victim lived in the semi-detached house and had done so for about a year. They admitted they were appalled at his death.

One woman, who lives on nearby Aston Drive, said: "It's a shock. I was only saying the other day how we were quite lucky to live in a street where nothing like this happened."

Many residents arrived home from work to find their homes behind police tape. One woman said: "It is scary. Very scary."

Residents of nearby Fenton Drive said the occupiers of the house on Caldon Green kept themselves to themselves but had a lot of visitors.
Supt Simon Nickless said: "This appears to be an isolated attack but we have increased the level of patrols in the Bulwell area to seek information and provide reassurance to the local community.

"At this stage, we are treating this as a murder inquiry and detectives are actively investigating all the circumstances surrounding this man's death."

The stabbing comes just months after a hard-hitting edition of BBC1's weekly investigative TV programme, 'Panorama', encouraged residents of the estate to "take back the streets" from unruly, anti-social yobs.

The 'Panorama' reporter focused on Fenton Drive and residents featured on the programme painted a picture of a lawless estate where thugs are in control.

Problems reported ranged from youths carrying weapons to verbal abuse, drinking, damage to cars and fences and intimidating behaviour.

The attack is the latest in a spate of stabbings across Britain, especially in London where 18 teenagers have been knifed to death this year.

And only last month a 19-year-old man suffered a knife slash wound to the head after an attack at Bulwell Bogs recreation park.

Mr Robinson: "Knives will destroy people's lives. This crime is something the association will have to absorb. "But we are trying to make changes in Bulwell Hall. There are lots of good things going on on the estate."

Anyone who has any information about the murder is asked to contact police on 0115 8445976. Alternatively, call the free and confidential 'Crimestoppers' hotline 0800 555111.