A STABBING victim attacked in a North-East street at the weekend came within 1mm of death, police revealed last night.

Darlington man Steven Lea is still fighting for his life in hospital after being attacked with an 8in blade on Friday night.

Last night, police said the 22-year-old, who crawled, bleeding, to a nearby house for help, had been lucky to escape with his life.

The incident happened in the town’s Melland Street at 5pm on Friday as office workers and Christmas shoppers were making their way home.

Detective Sergeant Sean Jackson, of Darlington CID, said: “The victim required intensive surgery to save his life.

“He is doing well so far, thankfully, and appears to be heading in the right direction.”

Detectives believe he was stabbed with a kitchen knife.

Doctors who operated on him said the blade had penetrated 8in into his body.

Det Sgt Jackson added: “The man was stabbed in the abdomen, and the stabbing sliced through his liver and his diaphragm.

“His pericardia, which holds the heart, was also damaged, which meant that his heart was hanging free inside his body.

“Luckily, he received treatment very quickly. If that had not been the case, he would certainly have died.”

Had he not being able to summon help, the victim may have bled to death in the street. “It was a very close-run thing,” said Det Sgt Jackson.

“The fact that the surgeon said that the blade came within 1mm of the heart tells you how serious this was.

“Without medical attention he certainly would have died.

“We could well have been looking at a fatality. It was an extremely nasty attack.”

Mr Lea was rushed to Darlington Memorial Hospital where last night his condition was described as stable.

The incident is the latest in a spate of knife-related attacks throughout the country in the past year.

In September, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pledged to tackle the problem and announced a £3.8m scheme to set up community groups across the UK with the aim of mentoring young people and youth activities. However, despite growing public fear over the scourge of knife crime, Detective John Smith, of Darlington CID, said residents should not be alarmed by the latest attack.

“This is an isolated incident and there is no need for alarm.

It is an incident that is confined to that moment, in which something flared up and resulted in a terrible stabbing.”

Witnesses to the stabbing are asked to call Darlington Police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800-555-111.

■ Thomas Anthony Sherlock, 42, of Melland Street, Darlington, will appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court today, in connetion with the incident.