A MAN needed 18 stitches after suffering a severe gash to his arm after a town centre robbery turned nasty.

Steven Laing, 46, was on a night out with colleagues from Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he works as a porter, when the attack happened.

At about 2am, he left Chicago Rock Caf, in Middlesbrough, and was making his way along Wilson Street to retrieve his bicycle from the hospital when he was approached by a man, who asked him for a light.

As Mr Laing, of Cedar Crescent, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, reached into his pocket, the man grabbed him by the arm and tried to steal his watch.

After a struggle the man ran toward the Chicago Rock Caf, where he disappeared among the crowd.

Mr Laing felt a sharp pain and, looking down, saw his arm was pouring with blood.

The knifeman is described as white, aged between 30 and 35, 5ft 10in, broad built with short hair and wearing two, gold looped earrings in his left ear.

He has a partly-grown goatee beard and was wearing a three-quarter length leather coat, blue jeans, boots and a dark polo shirt.

Witnesses to the incident, on Saturday, should ring PC Rob Carroll on (01642) 303117.