A man needed stitches to a wound in his hand after a suspected knife attack in Eastbourne.

A plain-clothes policeman summoned help from colleagues after discovering a fight in South Street yesterday at 1pm.

The wounded man was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital and another man was taken to Eastbourne police station.

A knife was recovered at the scene.

Residents watched from a block of flats as police set up a cordon to inspect bloodstains on the pavement.

Officers said they were unsure what had caused the altercation.