Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man's body was discovered in an Oxford flat.

Police were called to Luther Court, off Speedwell Street, at lunchtime on Sunday and last night the trio -- two men and a women -- were still in custody.

It was reported the victim, believed to be aged 40, but not yet formally identified by police, was believed to have been beaten.

Neighbours spoke yesterday of previously hearing arguments inside the flat.

News of the man's death was released by police only yesterday afternoon.

A postmortem examination conducted yesterday was inconclusive. Further tests are to be carried out on the body.

Police spokesman Vicky Evans said officers were called to the address at 1.10pm in connection with another incident when they found the man's body.

Detectives arrested a 40-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man in Oxford at about 6.30pm. A 44-year-old man was arrested later at another address.

Yesterday, a police officer parked a van outside the entrance to the flats to guard the scene.

A 31-year-old man, who has lived nearby for the past two years, but did not want to be named, said he had often heard the occupant of the flat arguing.

He said: "I could hear him fighting. It often got quite loud. My wife is eight months' pregnant, so this has been quite worrying."

Stephen Broadway, 36, who lives in another block of flats in Luther Court, added: "I came back from my usual walk along the river on Sunday and I saw a number of police cars and vans, and some paramedics. It must have been about 4pm or 5pm."

In September, police were called to investigate the death of Michael Alistair Calvey, who also lived in Luther Court. They later said they were not treating the incident as a murder.