A three-month old baby boy was stabbed to death, allegedly by his father, in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Monday.

Captain Charmaine Struwig said the father had intended to stab the mother in a domestic dispute on Sunday afternoon but instead struck the baby, who was being carried on the mother's back. Police said the baby had sustained an open wound to the head and died at the scene.

"The father attempted to flee with the body of the child but members of the community stepped in and stopped him," said Struwig.

The 26-year old man was arrested and was due to appear in court soon on a charge of murder.

Sapa