A man whose face was carved open with a piece of glass has appealed for witnesses to help catch his attacker.

Jack Brown was thrown down two flights of stairs, punched repeatedly in the face and body and slashed all over his face and neck.

He needed more than 600 stitches on his face and he lies awake at night in agony. When he manages to fall asleep, he has nightmares.

Mr Brown was 34 when he was attacked in the hallway of 29 Cavendish Place in Eastbourne between 10.30pm and 11.30pm on February 24, 2003.

He had been out househunting in Hastings and was returning to the flats to pick up his Staffordshire Bull terrier before going home.

Although Mr Brown says he knows the man who attacked him, the case has been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service three times.

Lord Justice Gage, sitting at the High Court in London last month, ordered police to reopen the case.

Mr Brown, now 38, is appealed for witnesses to the attack.

He said: "I realised shortly after the attack began he was out to murder me.

"There was a loud bursting noise. I realised it was the glass tearing all the skin on my left cheek as he carved his way into my face.

"So much blood spurted out that at one point I was afraid I might choke on my own blood.

"Taking a shard of glass in his other hand he tried to gauge my left eye out with such a force the glass broke.

"He then continued by plunging his thumb into the socket."

Mr Brown broke free and reached the metal railing outside the flats but could not grip the bars because his hands were covered in blood.

He was dragged back in by his feet and the thug then slit Mr Brown's throat and stabbed his neck.

After around 30 minutes a policeman arrived and pulled the attacker away.

The case was dropped on the first occasion due to lack of evidence and later because of problems with Mr Brown's statement made from his hospital bed days after the attack.

The case was dropped again after the attacker claimed self-defence. The attacker had a bite mark on the arm which he had stuffed into Mr Brown's mouth to silence his screams.

Mr Brown, a decorator, has been unable to return to work and is frightened to leave his home. He cannot have a relationship because he hates people touching his body.

He said: "My body is held together like a puppet on a string. Even today I feel like the Elephant Man because of my looks.

"I cannot move on with my life until this person gets convicted and I get closure."

Witnesses should contact Sussex Police or call Mr Brown's legal adviser Chris Martin on 01323 728223 or 07809 864278.