Thugs slash Worthing man's face in unprovoked attack

The victim, who is in his 30s, was set upon by three men in an alleyway in Worthing early on Sunday morning.

Detectives are investigating whether a knife was used to cause a slashwound which severed an artery in the man’s face.

They believe the attackers would be covered with blood and are appealing for anyone who knows them to give them up.

The couple were walking home from a family birthday party at about 12.30am when they went into a twitten between sections of Barrington Road, near Worthing Leisure Centre.

The man is believed to have bumped into one of three men, who then attacked him near the Shaftesbury Avenue end of the road.

His face was slashed open across his cheek from his left ear, cutting his temporal artery.

While the suspects had claimed to have a knife, it is not known exactly what kind of weapon was used.

The victim needed emergency treatment at Worthing Hospital, where he was still recovering yesterday after losing a large amount of blood.

Police said he was likely to be badly scarred and they are treating the assault as grievous bodily harm.

Detective Sergeant Colin O’Hare said: “This was a completely unprovoked and unnecessary assault.

“The suspects are likely to have heavily bloodstained clothing.

“It is believed they are probably local males give the fact they were on foot and appeared to know the area.”

He appealed for anyone who suspects a family member, friend or relative of being involved in the attack to come forward with information.

The men were all white and in their early 20s with local accents.

The first is described as having short, dark, brown hair and was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt with dark inch-think horizontal stripes.

The second had short, cropped fair hair and was wearing a white vest.

The third was dark-haird, wearing a long sleeved top, possibly with a hood.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 quoting serial 137 of August 9.