A MURDER investigation was under way tonight after a man was attacked and killed in broad daylight in an East Oxford street.

The victim stumbled into the Regal venue in Cowley Road at about 11.50am with stab wounds to his neck.

A member of staff called an ambulance, but the man died shortly afterwards at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Police said the man, who was black and was wearing a purple hooded top, Adidas tracksuit bottoms and riding a green bicycle, had been seen shortly before arguing with another man in nearby Ridgefield Road.

Roads around the scene were closed this afternoon as officers searched the area and more than 20 detectives began investigating the incident.

Det Chief Insp Mick Saunders said: “We now believe this was a deliberate attack and a murder investigation has been launched.

“Magdalen Road has been cordoned off and police continue with their inquiries in the Cowley Road area.

“We are still in the very early stages of the investigation and are attempting to establish how, where and when the man sustained his injuries.

“I appeal to anyone who was in the area this morning and saw a black man who appeared to be injured to contact police immediately.

“We need to find out exactly how this man was injured and where.

“If you have any information, however insignificant you think it might be please get in touch.”

Michael Kill, the general manager of the Regal, said: “We normally open at 11am as a box office, and that was the reason we were open. We weren’t trading as a building, we just had the box office open for people to buy tickets for future events.

“The gentleman stumbled into the box office, which was obviously quite traumatic for our receptionist.

“She had never had anything like this happen before.

“She realised he was injured and called the ambulance and police.

“When they arrived he was on the floor at that point, with compression applied to his wound. Police also gave him mouth-to-mouth.

“It was completely unrelated to the Regal, but we don’t know where he originated from, although we think he came from the area of the churchyard.

“We are trying to support police in the best way we can. We’ve handed over everything we have got, including CCTV.

“The guy was asking for help and we gave him as much help as we could. It was obviously a very, very difficult situation for a junior member of staff and we did everything we could.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 08458 505505 or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555111.

* A man who stumbled into a Cowley probation centre suffering a stab wound to his stomach is in a stable condition in hospital.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the 50-year-old arrived bleeding at Oxford Probation Centre, in Oxford Road, Cowley, at 1.40pm on Friday. He claimed he was wounded after falling off his bike.

Claire Gourlay, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: “The man is in a stable condition in the John Radcliffe Hospital, and officers are hoping to speak to him in the near future.”