Surgery for disfigured ex-addict

Peter Cross cut his nose with a Stanley knife during an overdose

A Nottinghamshire man who cut off part of his nose while hooked on heroin said he had to wait more than two years for plastic surgery.

Peter Cross, 43, cut his nose with a knife while in a drug-induced daze at his home in Mansfield Woodhouse.

He has kicked his drug habit and will undergo plastic surgery to reconstruct the left side of his nose next week.

He said: "All I can remember is taking heroin and amphetamine and 18 hours later I had done this to my nose."

'Chunk of nose'

He explained that he did not go to hospital at the time because he felt no pain.

"I was in no pain at all because of the heroin - it is a pain killer- and I didn't even go to the hospital for stitches or anything like that.

"I can breathe alright but people stare at me in the street and it is embarrassing."

He said he did not remember anything about the incident, but found "a chunk of nose" on the knife later.

Mr Wood said he was addicted to heroin for nine years and amphetamines for six years, but has since stopping using drugs.

He has been drug-free for almost 18 months.

Mr Wood urged people to avoid illegal drugs: "They could do anything to you - so stay away from them."