Three persons have been arrested for the murder of a Sikh man of Indian origin, who was stabbed to death while trying to stop two muggers who had snatched a woman's handbag in London [Images] last week, British police have said.

Sukhwinder Singh [Images], 31, was attacked while pursuing two men who had robbed a 28-year-old woman near Barking station in east London; and when he caught up with the pair a fight broke out and he was knifed around 7 pm on last Friday.

Singh, a builder who had lived in Britain for ten years, was immediately taken to Royal London Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police, which hailed Singh as a 'hero' for his 'brave' actions, said that the three men were arrested on Wednesday from east London and it meant more than two suspects were involved in his killing.

Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Clayman told mediapersons, "We need to hear from anybody who witnessed the initial robbery, the actual stabbing and anyone who may have seen suspects running away from the Uphall Road area."

"I wish to encourage members of the public to come forward and speak to police -- no matter how insignificant they may feel their information is. If they have fears regarding speaking to police, I assure them we can allay those fears," he added.

The Metropolitan police had last week issued descriptions of two suspects who were described as black, aged in their 20s to 30s, and 5 ft 7 inches to 6 ft in height, and also urged anyone who had seen the robbery, the following altercation or people fleeing the area, to approach officers.