A man has relived the moment he was stabbed as he rebuked two boys who forced him to swerve as they jumped out in front of his bike.

John Banks, 51, said the pain when he was knifed in the side and arm was like an electric shock.

He said: "It was like a 2,000 volt shock. It went straight through me.

"The pain was immense and I thought I was going to die."

Mr Banks spent 16 days in hospital after suffering a collapsed lung in the attack.

Jason Murray, 26, of Southall Avenue, Brighton, denies intending to cause him grievous bodily harm.

Mr Banks told Hove Crown Court yesterday that he had been to his mother's house in Southall Avenue for Sunday lunch on August 29.

He said he was forced to swerve when two boys jumped out from behind a parked van as he began to ride his bike home to Hove.

He decided to speak to the boys, aged 15 and 11, after he heard one of them spit at him.

Mr Banks admitted he had told the older boy that he would "give him a good hiding" after the boy was abusive and appeared to threaten him.

But he said: "No way did I intend to hit them. I just wanted to explain that they had nearly had me off my bike and if they behaved like that someone could end up getting hurt."

Mr Banks said Murray and his wife came from a nearby house and told him to go and see the boys' parents.

He said there was an angry exchange between the two of them and Murray, who was barefoot, left to put some shoes on.

Mr Banks admitted shouting after him: "If it's a fight you want, let's have a fight."

He said his mother arrived on the scene and was screamed at and had a broom handle pointed at her by Murray's wife.

He said: "I felt extremely fearful for my mother and tried to usher her away.

"The next thing I remember is a blur from behind me and feeling an almighty bang on my shoulder.

"I knew then from the blows I had just received that I had been stabbed."

John Livingstone, prosecuting, said Murray told police his son, who has cancer, was in the street nearby when the incident took place.

Mr Livingstone said: "He admitted that it was him who had done it.

"He said his son had cancer and he got really upset when he saw this guy hitting the kids and pushing his wife over."

Mr Banks denied a suggestion by Philip Meredith, defending, that his injuries were caused when he lunged at Murray who was holding a knife.

The trial continues.