This is the face of a man police want to identify in connection with a knife attack on a woman outside her home.

He was caught on a CCTV camera in the area where mother-of-two Manoosh Shoai, 55, was slashed from forehead to chin and stabbed seven times by a masked knifeman.

Police stressed they needed to identify the man in the picture to eliminate him from the inquiry.

Mrs Shoai was left scarred for life by the attack as she arrived home from work to her house in Aldsworth Avenue, Goring, Worthing.

The attacker appeared from the side of the house carrying a knife and sprayed what was believed to be pepper in her face before throwing her to the ground.

He repeatedly stabbed his victim, leaving her with a centimetre-deep and 17cm-long slash to her face and a 15cm knife wound to her buttocks.

The attacker, who fled into nearby woodland, was described as a 35 to 40, 6ft tall, of medium build and with brown eyes.

He was wearing a black or grey balaclava.

The stabbing was initially treated as a racist attack against the Iranian woman but police now believe it was a planned and deliberate attack against her.

They released the image of the man seen in the area when the attack took place after checking CCTV footage from the property and nearby shops.

A spokesman said: "We need to identify this man for elimination purposes. We would urge anyone who may recognise him to come forward."

He urged anyone who may have seen anything suspicious on December 15 at about 11.30pm or on previous nights to contact the police.

The victim's family is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Constable Kim Clinch or Detective Sergeant Colin Smith at Worthing CID on 0845 6070999.