Surgery for attack victim

A 22-year-old Brighton man has had to have plastic surgery after suffering a serious injury to his ear in an assault.

The incident happened outside the Quality Inn Hotel in West Street, Brighton, shortly after 0300 GMT on Sunday.

He was assaulted by a man described as white, aged about 28 and of muscular build.

The man wore a grey cardigan and a white t-shirt with black letters, the first of which was 'B', and dark, denim jeans.

Police said he threw off the cardigan before the attack.

The victim was attacked after trying to help a woman who had been arguing with the suspect a few minutes earlier, Sussex Police said.

Detective Sergeant Dave Wilson said: "He appeared to have been trying to calm a situation down when he was the victim of a savage, unprovoked assault."