Flowers and tributes have been left at the spot a 39-year-old father was hacked to death by a gang with machetes.

Sebastian Zuchlinski was set on by the thugs in Davenport Street, just outside Bolton town centre, on Saturday.

Witnesses saw the attackers slashing at his limbs and one of the victim's fingers was chopped off in the melee.

Paramedics were called out to the 10pm incident but were unable to save him.

Mr Zuchlinski had been at his partner Ewa Bubrowska's house round the corner in Vernon Street before the attack. She is believed to have a five-year-old daughter that Mr Zuchlinski looked after.

Flowers, candles and a photograph of him in a frame have been left at the side of Davenport Street, where all traces of the police forensics investigation have disappeared.

The Bolton News:

Greater Manchester Police are treating Mr Zuchlinski's death as murder and have arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Vernon Street resident Lauren Edwards posted on Facebook: “Absolute scum, the people who did this! 

“Himself and his partner are my next door neighbours and to learn who it was who had been murdered right outside our own houses is a shock to myself and everyone else. Even though I didn’t speak much to him he was a polite lovely guy. 

“He will be missed and I cannot even begin to think how his family and friends are feeling at this sad time. RIP.”

A pal of the victim, calling himself Kri Su, wrote on Facebook in Polish: “Goodbye my friend, I’m sure I’ll never forget about you now. Rest in peace.”

Mr Zuchlinski is originally from Koszalin in north Poland and reportedly moved to Britain a decade ago.

He is thought to have worked as a delivery driver, and trained at a variety of boxing clubs and gyms across the borough.

He was a regular customer at Polish stores in Derby Street, Daubhill, where staff, who did not wish to be named, said he was a ‘lovely man.’

Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington of the Major Incident Team said: "First and foremost I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of the victim for their tragic loss.

"We have launched a full investigation to find those responsible for this poor man’s death and I would like to appeal for anyone who may have information to please come forward.

"I know an incident like this on a residential street can cause a lot of concern however I would like to stress that we believe this to be an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public.

"If you believe you have any information, no matter how big or small you think it may be, please contact the police immediately."

It is understood that Mr Zuchlinski had three children with his ex-wife and that when he moved to Bolton he left most of his family in Poland.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds and detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.