A policeman stabbed in the back by a burglary suspect came within millimetres of death, it emerged today.

PC Gary Thompson was stabbed twice with an 8in kitchen knife as he struggled with three suspects in Southwick.

The blade cut into one of PC Thompson's kidneys and came within a hair's breadth of severing an artery.

The trio attacked PC Thompson and his partner PC John Gatland as they followed up reports of a break-in at Rock Close early on Friday.

The men fled leaving PC Thompson in a pool of blood.

Both officers are now recovering and PC Thompson is expected to leave hospital towards the end of the week.

Chief Inspector Stuart Harrison, second in command of Hove and Shoreham police, said the men's bravery "deserved a medal".

He said: "This so very nearly could have been a fatal incident.

"As a senior policeman I feel responsible for my officers when they are on the streets dealing with crime and disorder.

"I also feel responsible for putting them in harm's way when something like this happens.

"This stabbing was a premeditated act of violence against an unarmed officer by someone who had deliberately gone out to commit crime armed with a knife.

"These two officers were partners and those partnerships are almost like a marriage. The partners develop a bond between them which is almost sacred.

"In these circumstances there is a tendency to believe that if you had done something different the outcome would not have been as serious.

"But how can you allow for the fact that someone has left home armed with a knife and has the callousness to use it in the back of the police officer?"

He said both officers had received visits and messages from colleagues throughout Sussex and beyond.

Mr Harrison said: "Everyone in the force feels it when a fellow officer is injured performing his duty.

"The force is just like a family and when something like this happens it feels like a crime against all of us."

Detectives have launched Operation Pitman to try to catch the three men and are treating the attack as attempted murder.

Mr Harrison said: "We are actively working on a number of leads which we hope will result in arrests by the end of the week."