Singer Brian Harvey recovering

Harvey is expected to make a full recovery

Pop star Brian Harvey is recovering from surgery after suffering a serious head injury in an attack outside a nightclub.

The former East 17 singer is expected to make a full recovery after the attack, which police say was carried out with a sharp-bladed weapon.

The attack happened outside The Works club in Nottingham

Police are now hunting a gang of four or five men who approached the star after he left a Nottingham nightclub.

Harvey's spokesman Dave Pitman said: "He is now in hospital and in a stable condition following surgery.

"His family and friends are with him and we would like to thank everyone who has sent messages of support."

Police do not know what type of weapon was used.

Promotional appearance

"There were thoughts that it may have been an axe or a machete but it is more likely it was something smaller," said Detective Inspector Dave Hoare of Nottinghamshire CID.

Harvey was attacked as he left the Works nightclub with two local 18-year-old female fans at 0130GMT on Tuesday, having appeared at a promotional event.

"Two females alerted door security staff to an incident, which had occurred approximately 100 yards from the club," a spokesperson for the club said.

"Security door staff acted quickly to help contain the incident, but the assailants ran off before they [the door staff] could reach Mr Harvey."

Ecstasy

Harvey has been regularly hitting the headlines since becoming part of the hugely successful boy band East 17, who had a string of hits in the early 1990's.

Their image had a more urban, street look than their rivals of the time Take That.

However Harvey was sacked from the band in 1997 after he claimed in an interview that he took 12 ecstasy tablets on one night and that drugs made "better people".

A year later Harvey was also convicted of kicking a press photographer and was ordered to pay more than £3,000 in fines and court costs.

Harvey was allowed back into East 17, then renamed E17, but the band never reached the heights of their earlier success.

Solo success

He has recently been dating blonde model Emma B after splitting from his dancer wife Natasha Goldman, with whom he has a daughter Teijan.

The singer previously had a stormy relationship with ex-EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook.

Wyclef Jean recently had a hit duet with Harvey

He teamed up with garage act True Steppers in 2000, before going solo with some success.

Recently he made the top 20 with a song written by rap producer Wyclef Jean entitled Loving You.

However Harvey suffered an embarrassing moment in October when no-one turned up for a record signing in his native Walthamstow, London.

The singer pulled out from the event moments before it was due to start because of a "television appearance".