A furniture removal man's nose was bitten off by a workmate who was agitated about losing his job, a court heard.

Robbie Walker lost the end of his nose and has had to have plastic surgery to build a new one.

Skin from his ears has been grafted on to the end of his nose to create a new tip.

He faces further operations and will be scarred for life, a jury at Hove Crown Court was told yesterday.

The injury was allegedly caused by David Phelps, 34, a colleague at a furniture removal firm in Eastbourne.

Martin Hooper, prosecuting, told the court: "Phelps had been to a barbecue and seems to have got wind that he was going to be sacked.

"He went to Mr Walker's home at 11.20pm to speak to him, in the hope that he could intervene on his behalf with their employer."

The court heard that Mrs Walker answered his knock at the door and her husband went to see what was happening when he heard her telling Phelps to go away.

Mr Walker, who is in his thirties, told the jury he had been dozing on the sofa.

He said: "I was only half awake and told him that he would wake my son up. Next thing he came at me and put his teeth around my nose and bit it off.

"We went down on the ground and my wife was trying to get him off me.

"He had his mouth around my ear and he told me to get my wife off him or he would bite my ear off as well.

"To this day I still have no idea what it was all about."

Mrs Walker wept as she recalled what happened outside her terraced home in Winchcombe Road, Eastbourne, on September 25 last year.

She said: "Phelpsy had Robbie in a headlock and was punching him. He bent down and was obviously biting Robbie's nose.

"Robbie was still half asleep and saying 'Phelpsy, stop it. What are you doing, mate?' Robbie was not throwing any punches back because he was not properly awake.

"I pushed Phelpsy's face and pulled his hair back to try to get him off.

"I said to him he was going to bite Robbie's nose off and he said 'Yeah, I know. I am going to bite the rest of his face off as well'."

A neighbour and another man in the street helped separate the men and Mr Walker went back into his house with blood streaming from his face as Phelps walked off.

Mrs Walker said she went across the road to Eastbourne ambulance station to get help.

She said the crew was just leaving on a call and told them to phone for another ambulance.

Phelps, of Iden Street, Eastbourne, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.