A MAN was stabbed to death outside a block of flats after a row over loud music.

Stuart Holt suffered a single knife wound to his chest.

Police were called to the Fraser House flats in Peterhead Close, Halliwell, in the early hours of yesterday and immediately launched a murder inquiry.

Mr Holt, aged 43, who lived at the flats, is understood to have become involved in an argument about music he had been playing through the night.

He was found lying injured outside the flats and died at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Last night a 25-year-old man, believed to be a neighbour of Mr Holt, was being held for questioning after going voluntarily to a police station.

He was arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Holt.

Superintendent Andy Durkin of Bolton Police, said: "This was not a random attack. The two parties involved appear to have had knowledge of each other prior to the incident.

"We would ask that any witnesses to this incident get in touch with police."

Residents reported hearing a woman screaming and calling for help before emergency services arrived.

A large area surrounding the flats was sealed off yesterday while a forensic examination was carried out by officers in white suits.

Witnesses were last night being interviewed by murder squad detectives.

Annette Ross, who lives in Kirk Hope Drive,overlooking the flats, said: "I heard a young girl screaming - now I know that there had been a stabbing. Something needs to be done about these flats, we are always having trouble with them."

Supt Durkin last night sounded a note of reassurance to residents of Bolton about knife crime.

He said: "We don't have a culture of people carrying knives in Bolton and that is borne out in figures which show that you are less likely to be a victim of knife crime here than in other parts of the country."

Anyone with any information about the death of Mr Holt is asked to contact police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.