FRIENDS of a man found stabbed to death outside his home have spoken of their horror.
Police have confirmed they are now conducting a murder inquiry following the death of Dale Partington.
His body was found outside his family home in St Lawrence Avenue, Snaith, shortly before 8am on Sunday.
The 27-year-old has been described by those who knew him as a fun-loving lad unlikely to have been involved in any trouble.
Scores of tributes have also been posted on Facebook by his friends.
One neighbour, Michael Eldin, said: "I've known Dale 15 years. I used to see him go past jogging or on his push bike. He was a nice lad."
A friend of Dale, Shane Tune, 19, said: "He was a fun lad and a keen runner. I'd known him for a few years."
Mr Tune's girlfriend, Jess Bisby, 17, said: "It's horrible what's happened.
"He was an alright lad. He wasn't the sort of lad to do 'owt wrong."
On Facebook, another friend, Dan Hornsby, wrote: "Shocked and saddened by the horrible news of the passing of Dale Partington. RIP mate. Thoughts are with your loved ones at this terrible time."
Another, Chris Duffin, wrote: "RIP Dale Partington. You'll be missed."
Police have arrested three people on suspicion of Mr Partington's murder.
They are a 37-year-old man, a 25-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman. All three are from the Snaith area, where Mr Partington lived all his life.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Hutchinson said: "My thoughts are with the family of Dale Partington at this terribly sad time and specially trained officers are with his family, offering support, during this difficult time.
"We have arrested three people for murder but we have a lot more enquiries to do in order to establish Dale's whereabouts and what happened to him leading to his body being discovered and I am appealing to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to contact us."
Mr Partington had been out with friends on Saturday night and is known to have visited pubs in Snaith and Selby.
Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have seen him in Snaith Market Place.
The house where the body was found in St Lawrence Avenue was still cordoned off yesterday while forensic teams did their work. Another development, revealed yesterday, is that a further address immediately around the corner in Chestnut Close, Snaith, has also been cordoned off by police. Forensic inquiries are ongoing there as well.
Many people in the tight-knit community off Pontefract Road, next to The Snaith School, knew Dale and his mother Julie well.
The family have lived in that area for a long time and Mr Partington had attended the local schools.
Mrs Partington, in particular, is very well-known and respected, having been brought up in that area.
While friends and neighbours struggle to come to terms with the loss of a young man, the police investigation into his killing goes on all around them.
Detectives have been on the scene since early on Sunday morning.
The incident is being investigated by a team of detectives based at the Major Incident Room in Driffield, led by Detective Chief Inspector Matt Hutchinson.
Anyone who has any information that could assist the police, or was in and around Snaith Market Place or St Lawrence Avenue in the late evening and early hours of Saturday and Sunday, should call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log 197 of December 16.
