A THIRD teenager was arrested last night on suspicion of killing a young father who was stabbed to death outside his home.

Kevin Johnson, 22, was stabbed in the early hours of Saturday as he argued with a group of youths outside his home in Partick Road, Sunderland.

Two teenagers - aged 16 and 17 - were arrested on Saturday.

According to Northumbria Police, magistrates last night granted officers a further 36 hours to continue questioning the two youths.

A force spokesman said: "Police this afternoon arrested an 18-year-old man in Sunderland they were seeking in connection with the murder of Kevin Johnson.

"The man, who is from the Sunderland area, has been arrested on suspicion of murder."

This arrest follows an appeal by detectives earlier yesterday for an unnamed 18-year-old to turn himself in.

Mr Johnson leaves a seven-month-old son, Chase, and his fiancee, Adele Marie Brett, 26.

Police have said they are examining possible links between the death of Mr Johnson and a series of other incidents involving youths in the same area on Friday night - including another in which a man was stabbed.

The second man, also in his 20s, was approached by three youths on a grassed area in Galway Square, at its junction with Greenwood Road.

He received a stab injury in his chest and is being treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital. His injury is not life threatening.

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Ford, who is leading the murder inquiry, also appealed for anyone in the Pennywell area who had clothes stolen from washing lines on Friday night or Saturday morning to contact them.

Mr Ford said: "We have had a good response from the public but still need people with any information which could help to contact the incident room."

Mr Johnson's death follows the stabbing to death of 15-year-old Shane Jackson, in Newcastle, earlier last week, and the murder of 16-year-old Mark Smith on May 3, also in Newcastle.

Northumbria Police yesterday moved to calm fears about knife crime in the region.

Sunderland area commander Superintendent Kay Blyth said: "We understand people's concern about knife crime when they hear about incidents such as these over recent weeks, but I want to stress the region remains a safe place to live and work."

"We should also point out stranger attacks are also very rare. Most incidents like this are between people who know each other.

"There isn't a knife culture in Northumbria. Of the nine murders in the force area last year involving knives, almost all of them happened in private houses."

Neighbours say Mr Johnson was attacked when he went to confront youths for making noise outside his home. Minutes later, at about 12.30am, a second man, aged 20, was attacked by several youths at the junction of Galway Square and Greenwood Road, not far from the initial stabbing.

A neighbour of Mr Johnson, 48-year-old David Booker, said police recovered a blood-covered knuckle-duster from outside his house in Partick Road.

A colleague of Mr Johnson, who asked not to be identified, said: "He was a top bloke.

"We worked together and he was one of the nicest people I know."