A MAN was stabbed by a masked attacker as he walked home in the early hours.

Police and paramedics rushed to help the injured man in Crawley at around 1.25am on Friday.

The victim, a local man in his 40s, was walking home in Seymour Road, Broadfield, when he was approached by another man, who had his face covered, and assaulted. He was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Chief Inspector Rosie Ross said: “We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the assault or thinks they saw the victim either before or after the incident.

“We are relying on witnesses to provide first-hand accounts of the assault which is vital to aid our investigation.

“Serious violent crime in Crawley, which is not associated with other types of criminality, is rare.

“Communities will see an increase in high visibility patrols and we are encouraging witnesses to speak to those officers with any information they have.”

Anyone who witnessed the assault or has information on the incident is asked to report online or call 101 quoting Operation Gull.