A father-of-four stabbed in the chest with a samurai sword said police should have reacted sooner to 999 calls made by his attacker.

Irfan Malik said he would not have been stabbed - an inch from his heart - if police had done their job differently.

“My family would have been left alone had it been one inch to the left,” he said.

His attacker, Ali Bhatti was already on bail for having a dagger in a public place when he phoned 999 three times saying he was armed and wanted to kill.

He was convicted following a trial, days before the samurai sword attack.

Paranoid schizophrenic Bhatti will be detained indefinitely in a secure hospital after a jury convicted him of attempting to murder Mr Malik and wounding another man with intent.

Terrified members of the public filmed Bhatti violently slashing with the sword and captured the moment he stabbed Mr Malik with the razor sharp blade.

Police failed to respond when Bhatti made his first 999 call, despite the dagger conviction days earlier.

He made two more calls the following day saying he wanted to kill police and making threats against his local mosque.

Bhatti left his home in Crawley, where Mr Malik and his friend spotted him on a roundabout.

Mr Malik, 39, leapt from his car and confronted Bhatti in a bid to prevent anyone being injured.

As he faced Bhatti, former youth worker Irfan realised he knew him.

Before he could talk him down, Bhatti stabbed him with the samurai sword.

“He recognised me but he kept looking over my shoulder and he was saying he’d done nothing wrong," he said.

“I was looking right in his eyes. When I turned around to see what he was looking at, that’s when he stabbed me.”

He described each day since the attack in October last year as a struggle.

“My faith teaches me to forgive,” he said.

Two police officers who later used a taser to bring Bhatti down were given bravery awards.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Mr Malik criticised the police response, saying: “It’s a joke. If the police had done their duty, we wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t have been stabbed.

“They should’ve been on his door in seconds."

Mr Malik said he has not been able to work since the attack.

His friend Amjid Yasin, 51, also ran towards Bhatti fearing they were in the middle of a terrorist attack.

“We got out of the car because nobody else did," said Mr Malik.

“People were fearing for their lives. I thought somebody was going to get killed.

“I don’t think Ali Bhatti can ever be let out.”

Following his arrest police failed to take blood samples from Bhatti, despite his claims to have taken drugs.

In an extraordinary move, the jury at Hove Crown Court wrote to the judge after convicting Bhatti to express their concerns over the police response and investigation.

The jury wrote: “We would like to express our concerns about the conduct of the police investigation and this case.

“Namely: Mr Bhatti's pleas for help expressed in 999 calls were not acted upon in a timely fashion.

“Mr Bhatti's claim of a threat made against him via phone was not properly investigated.

“No evidence of Mr Bhatti's drug use was gathered other than own admission.

“No toxicology was carried out on Mr Bhatti's blood sample taken when arrested.”

Judge Christine Henson QC said she shared their concerns, adding: “These are concerns which need to be addressed by the police and what lessons can be learned going forward.”

Sussex Police were given 28 days to respond.

The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for review after concluding their own investigation.

The internal review found the force had lessons to learn on the grading of 999 calls.

Sussex Police decided using a taser on Ali Bhatti for a second time while he was already handcuffed and face down on the ground was necessary and proportionate.

The lack of toxicology evidence in the case is also under review.

Chief Superintendent Howard Hodges said: “This was an unprovoked and vicious attack on two members of the public in the street and we commend them for supporting this investigation and for their bravery.

"Multiple police units were deployed to Horsham Road, Crawley, on an emergency response following reports of a man in possession of a weapon.

"Two unarmed officers in separate vehicles were first on scene and maintained sight of the individual while awaiting firearms officers to arrive, in line with national College of Policing guidance.

“However, as the risk of immediate danger increased, the two officers on scene moved to detain the man themselves with the use of tasers.

"A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) owing to the injuries suffered by members of the public after police arrived on the scene.

“They determined a local investigation was appropriate and this has concluded and awaits IOPC review.

"When a jury has outstanding questions about some of the evidence they have heard they can raise these with the judge to seek an explanation. This forms part of the criminal justice process and we, via the CPS, will ensure full responses are provided in the given time.”