Patient kills social worker

London - A social worker was stabbed to death when she visited a psychiatric patient at a hostel yesterday, police said.

London - A social worker was stabbed to death when she visited a psychiatric patient at a hostel yesterday, police said.

The woman (51) was killed during a pre-arranged visit to the "half-way house" in Balham, south-west London, shortly before noon, police said.

The social worker was stabbed a number of times in the stomach. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police were called to the hostel and arrested a 26 year-old man who was being held in custody at Battersea police station last night. Two kitchen knives which officers believed were used in the attack were recovered at the scene, police added.