A takeaway chef attacked his colleague with a kitchen knife during a busy service.

Pizza chef Ifthaker Mohammed was left with a 15cm cut down his wrist, a cut artery and several damaged tendons in the attack at the Hove chicken shop.

Grill chef Heman Ahmed brandished a large kitchen knife “like a machete” leaving Mr Mohammed, 22, needing 40 stitches. He was cut so badly he temporarily lost all feeling in his forearm.

Brighton Crown Court was told that Ahmed had been making racist comments towards Mr Mohammed, of Shoreham, as the pair worked together at the restaurant on January 26 last year.

Mr Mohammed told him to stop but Ahmed grabbed him by the throat.

He then grabbed a “large, pointed, sharp, working knife,” brandishing it “like a machete” towards Mr Mohammed, cutting his wrist as he tried to protect his face.

Mr Mohammed spent three days in hospital undergoing surgery and was off work for 14 weeks, losing an estimated £3,500 in earnings.

On Friday, Ahmed, of Station Road, Burgess Hill, was jailed for six years plus two years extended sentence, after being found guilty of wounding with intent.

Recorder Antony Chinn QC said Ahmed posed a potential danger to the public.

Mr Mohammed told The Argus he has had to give up his dream career following the attack at Golden Fried Chicken in Church Road, Hove.

After the sentencing hearing he said: “I suppose I have got a bit paranoid about the fact that anyone could end up stabbing me. I just wanted to stop working around knives.

“He will serve probably four years in jail; I could have died and this will last for rest of my life.

“I am glad he went to jail, because he stabbed me and then he denied it."

He said he briefly found another job as a chef but found he was unable to continue his career, due to on going sensation damage and fear of being attacked again.

Mr Mohammed, who now works in marketing, added: “I have grown up around catering and worked quite hard to become a chef, starting at the bottom.”