A teenager stabbed seven times is recuperating after being pounced on by a mob who accused him of staring.

Leon Stent, 18, was left to die in a pool of blood after being slashed in the leg, chest and shoulder by up to ten men.

Detectives are treating the stabbing as attempted murder but concede their inquiries have so far resulted in little information.

Mr Stent was enjoying an evening in Hastings town centre with five friends when they decided to head for McDonald's in Wellington Place.

When they came out, late on Easter Sunday, they were confronted by a group of knife-wielding men of Eastern European appearance.

Unemployed Mr Stent, of Battle Road, St Leonards, said: "One of them said, 'What are you looking at?'

"I said we weren't staring at anything. A fight broke out and I thought that was it. There was so many of them.

"The next thing I remember I was signing a consent form at hospital."

Mr Stent, a former pupil at all-boys William Parker School in Parkstone Road, Hastings, was saved by a McDonald's worker trained in first aid who saw the commotion.

He stemmed the blood flow from Mr Stent's deep stab wounds before ordering colleagues to summon medics and police who threw a cordon round the town centre.

Mr Stent spent five days at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, where he was given two transfusions as his blood loss became dangerously low.

He needed 33 stitches in his leg as one of the slashes came within an inch of severing a vital artery.

Speaking for the first time about his ordeal, Mr Stent said: "We just went out to have a good time but it turned into the worst night of my life.

"My family cannot believe I'm still alive. There were times when they believed I wouldn't pull through. It was a totally unprovoked attack."

Detectives are still sifting through CCTV pictures taken in the town centre.

They appealed in particular for information about a man named Killa, who is aged between 18 and 20 and about 6ft.

Five men were arrested but released on police bail after being quizzed at Hastings police station.

Detective Sergeant Colin Jacques, of Hastings CID, said: "We need witnesses to come forward to tell us what happened and if they saw anyone running away."

Anyone with information should call Hastings CID on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.