A stab victim killed in a London suburb was “let down” by ambulance teams who took 10 minutes to arrive at the scene, witnesses have said.

Detectives are holding a man on suspicion of murder after the victim, named locally as Allan Isichei, 69, was attacked after leaving a pub in Southall, west London, at about 6.40pm on Saturday.

His neighbour, Raj Grover, 41, said his wife phoned the emergency services after Mr Isichei, understood to be the director of a construction firm, knocked at his door suffering knife wounds.

The scene in Southall
The scene in Southall (Lewis Pennock/PA)

But he claimed they waited 10 minutes for paramedics to arrive and said “things could have been different” if the response had been quicker.

Medics also asked the victim to stand up so he could be put on a stretcher, despite his wounds, Mr Grover said.

As they waited, Mr Isichei begged the family to fetch his wife from their home several doors up, in St Mary’s Avenue South.

Mr Grover’s son, Kevneet, 15, answered the door to Mr Isichei after the injured man rang the bell repeatedly.

“I realised it was somebody who had been injured,” said Kevneet, whose 11-year-old sister also saw the injuries.

“He straight away started saying ‘call an ambulance’. I said, ‘OK, what’s happened?’ because I didn’t recognise him, I got scared.

“He said ‘call an ambulance’ and then he collapsed. I called my dad.

“The ambulance let us down. When we called, they started asking so many questions. So many people were calling the ambulance, the police.

“The ambulance were asking so many questions, they took quite a few minutes, but then his face started to go white and his lips as well.”

London Ambulance Service has been contacted for a comment and said it will look into the claims.

Scotland Yard said police were called to the scene with both the ambulance service and air ambulance.

A man aged in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of murder and held in hospital overnight under police guard while he was treated for minor injuries.

Detectives remained at the scene on Sunday morning, including forensics teams in specialist uniforms.

The street remained cordoned off, together with nearby roads.

Reverend Dave Bookless, the vicar of St Mary’s church, opposite the street, said he believed the ambulance was initially able to drive the victim away, but had had to stop at a nearby park after Mr Isichei’s condition worsened.

“The ambulance ended up stopping just down the road,” he said.

“They were working on him there and trying to resuscitate him but sadly I think the injuries were too severe.

“It’s come as a huge shock. A lot of people are saying this is not the kind of area this happens.

“Although we’re kind of in the middle of urban, multicultural London, there’s quite a village feeling here.

“It happened in broad daylight in a residential street. People are really quite shocked.”

He said the pub, The Plough Inn, was also “very much part of the community”.

“(Mr Isichei) had left perfectly peacefully from what I gather and I don’t know if it happened on his way home, it may have done, but it happened in the street,” Rev Bookless said.