A TATTOO-COVERED lodger who is wanted by police on suspicion of repeatedly stabbing his landlord to death has been named.

Alan Knight has not been seen since a 50-year-old man who he lived with was found dead in his Worthing home on Tuesday.

Officers want to speak to Mr Knight, 51, after it is believed the victim was stabbed several times with a kitchen knife in his home in Osmonde Close, Broadwater, the detective leading the investigation told The Argus.

But his best friend contacted The Argus and protested his innocence, saying Mr Knight did not have a "violent bone in his body", when he contacted this newspaper.

Mr Knight is a builder and former student of Dorothy Stringer High School, Brighton.

He is originally from Brighton but had been living with the victim for at least six months after answering a Room to Let advert.

Police are working on the premise he stole the victim's Ford Fiesta-type van after the death to make his getaway. He was seen in the van - as a driver or potentially as a passenger - on Sunday in Brighton.

CCTV cameras have captured footage of a man matching his description in Bath on Tuesday and Wednesday but he is thought to be moving around - potentially using public transport - and could be anywhere in the country.

He is known to favour wearing combat trousers and beige builder's boots and is white, 5ft 10in tall, stocky with blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a beige polo or black v-neck T-shirt.

Detective chief inspector Tanya Jones told The Argus he was carrying a black Lonsdale hold-all bag which may have contained a change of clothing.

He is most easily recognised by his tattoos - a barbed wire necklace with roses, tribal print on both his arms, wording on the top right of his chest.

The words 'love' and 'hate' are tattooed on his fingers with a swallow between the index finger and thumb of each hand. He also has a number of piercings in the back of his neck.

His friend Carl Knight told The Argus one of his hobbies was going rabbit hunting with a licensed air rifle.

In May Alan Knight, who is seperated from his wife, posted a picture on Facebook holding a dead dog fish, which he said was his first catch of that kind. He also posted several topless pictures showing off the tattoos around his neck.

DCI Jones said a risk assessment using police intelligence and public record information satisfied officers that Mr Knight was not a risk to the public at this time and indications show this was not an attack by a stranger.

She said: "This is an incredibly tragic way to end your life. It is difficult to know what to say to the family but our thoughts are with them. The community is in absolute shock that this happened so close to them."

The weapon was found at the scene, which forensics teams continue to comb for evidence. The police cordon sealing off the small cul-de-sac is expected to be in place until the weekend while investigations continue.

A friend raised concerns with police after he had not seen the victim since Saturday afternoon.

He was found lying by the front door at 12.15pm on Tuesday and police had to break into the property to get.

The post-mortem of his body began at 5pm on Thursday and was expected to take five hours.

The results expected this morning will reveal the extent of the injuries and where these were inflicted.

The Argus knows the identity of the victim but has chosen not to publish his name with police still hoping to inform his relatives of his death.

Officers were hopeful of tracing the next of kin last night.

DCI Jones added: "If Alan is reading this, I would appeal to him to make himself known to police, wherever he is, without further delay.

"I want to know what he can tell us about the incident and I can assure him that he will be treated fairly and respectfully."

Anyone who knows of his whereabouts over the last five or six days is asked to call police immediately. If he is spotted, do not approach him but call 999.

The police welcome any sightings of the victim's car which has the registration number HT02 HMA.

Call police on 101 quoting Sussex Police reference Operation Waterhouse or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk.

WORRIED FRIEND URGES: ‘KNIGHTY, CONTACT ME’

“KNIGHTY – if you’re reading this please contact me.”

This was the message from Alan Knight’s best friend after he was named by police as being wanted on suspicion of murder.

Craig Knight – who is not related but has known the 51-year-old for three years after meeting at work on a building site in Worthing - said the news his mate was suspected of fatally stabbing his landlord had “absolutely blown his mind”.

He contacted The Argus to protest the innocence of his friend and appeal for him to make contact.

He said: “The first I heard of this was when I saw the appeal for him to come forward.

“I am 100 per cent sure he is innocent.

“He does not have a violent or aggressive bone in his body. He is the most mild-mannered person I know.

“He liked living there, he told me he had paid his rent in advance up until October.

“He moved there because it suited him better.

“He separated from his wife a long time ago.

“He likes his air rifle. He’s got all the right licences and he and his friends get permission to go on different bits of land and go rabbit shooting.”

Craig, who now lives in Portsmouth, said he and Alan would usually speak two or three times a week on the phone to “have a bit of banter and cheer each other up” but he had not been able to get hold of him this week.

He said: “That has really worried me.

“His phone is off the grid when I try and call. His Facebook profile is not accepting messages any more.

“Knighty – if you are reading this let me know you are OK.”

QUIETLY EFFECTIVE, THE TALENTED OFFICER DESTINED FOR THE TOP

THE detective leading the case to find out who killed a 50-year-old man in Worthing is a rising star in Sussex Police with a growing list of tough cases behind her.

One of 11 women in chief inspector roles across the force, Detective Chief Inspector Tanya Jones is thought of as an inspirational leader and excellent detective.

Before becoming a DCI she was district commander – an equal rank – for relatively low-crime Chichester until 2014, where the community keeps her in high regard.

Chichester councillor Richard Plowman said: “She was very good at getting things sorted out and getting people involved.

“She was very much the sort of person who was out and about.”

He said no specific incidents stuck out from her time there, adding: “You tend to remember the things that go wrong.”

His impression was echoed by Robert Flatt, chairman of Chichester Neighbourhood Watch, who said: “She was very positive, very enthusiastic.

“She was very present and very keen to work with Neighbourhood Watch.

“I knew she would not be with us for long because somebody with that level of enthusiasm and passion tends to get promoted.

“She is very intelligent and if she wants to find out something she will do everything she can.

“We were lucky to have her.”

During her time at Chichester, DCI Jones proved herself willing to tackle controversy head on, defending the force’s decision in 2013 to tag dementia patients if their families consented.

“It is about finding people quickly before something happens to them,” she said at the time, backed by the husband of a dementia sufferer who said the tagging device had made a huge difference to his and his wife’s lives.

Since moving to the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, DCI Jones has led several high-profile cases, including the deaths of Dennis and Sheila Jefferson, both in their 70s, who were found dead in their bungalow in Maybush Drive, Chidham, on February 6.

The only suspect in the case, Mrs Jefferson’s brother-in-law Norman Williams, 70, died from burns and surgical complications in hospital a few days later.

DCI Jones also led the investigation into the death of Georgi Yaschuk, 23, who was hit by a lorry in Brighton in April and is leading a case into the alleged rape of a 69-year-old woman.

She is working in the high ranks of a force whose officer ratio is 70 per cent male and which has a lower proportion of women in senior positions.

Retired Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett said she was an inspirational leader who could follow in the footsteps of Detective Chief Superintendent Rachel Bacon, head of CID.

He said of DCI Jones: “She really works well with the community, both on an ongoing basis and when she is running investigations.

“She is also a really experienced and effective detective and inspirational leader.

“She is quite quiet but she is very effective and staff follow her because they want to. She motivates them.”

As to the presence of women in top roles at Sussex Police, he added: “I think things are getting better and women are getting better opportunities.

“There has never been a question around a difference in skills.”