A man was left with serious head injuries after a beating.
Members of the public found Bernie Spencer, 56, lying in Basin Road North, Portslade, at 5.25am on Saturday.
He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, where his condition was said to be serious but stable.
Mr Spencer, who lives locally, is a regular at the Halfway House pub in Wellington Road, Portslade.
Police are trying to trace a man seen at 3.30am in the area where Mr Spencer was found.
He is 30 to 40 with short fair hair and a red face, and wore a red jacket and jumper. A police spokesman said: "This man may have information useful to the inquiry."
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