PEOPLE watched in horror as a man was stabbed in the back during a brawl.

The emergency services were called to East Street, Brighton, at 10.15pm on Saturday.

The man was chased and then stabbed following a mass brawl involving a dozen people outside the Shooshh nightclub in King’s Road.

One witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said the two groups began arguing outside the club shortly after 10pm.

He said: “It was only just dark so there were lots of people still around.

“There were two groups of men, perhaps around ten of them and a couple of women as well.

“I think they were trying to split them up. I don’t think the two groups knew each other.

“But I couldn’t tell what it was all about.

“There was a lot of pushing and shouting and then one of the men ran for it.

“I’m not sure why he ran, but he just went.”

Three or four men from the other group gave chase, he added, following him across King’s Road into East Street.

There they set on him, kicking and punching him to the ground before one of men is thought to have brandished a knife.

He said: “They stabbed him in the back, at the top of his shoulder.

“To start with I don’t think he knew he had been stabbed.

“The other men ran off in the direction of North Street.”

Doorman from Pitcher and Piano and other nearby bars came to help and one of the bouncers is said to have given the man first aid.

His friends, who had been involved in the fight outside Shooshh, arrived shortly after and the emergency services were called.

Police and paramedics arrived within minutes and officers cordoned off the area outside the entrance of Clarendon Mansions, near the junction with King’s Road.

The man was then taken away in an ambulance. His condition is not thought to be life threatening.

He added: “He was walking about when the ambulance came so I don’t think he was too badly hurt.”

Sussex Police would not comment on the incident.