A knifeman lunged at a woman on her doorstep and slashed her across her face in a suspected case of mistaken identity.

When the 24-year-old answered a knock at her flat door in Bishopric, Horsham, she was cut just half an inch from her eye.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “It was so quick. As I opened the door he went for me and I instinctively moved back and he cut my face.

“I was lucky he didn't blind me. He could have pushed past me but I just slammed the door on him.”

The woman then ran upstairs to wake her housemate, who alerted police.

The attacker was white, 5ft 10in, in his early 30s and stocky with dark hair. He was wearing what is believed to be a dark blue zip-up jacket.

Anyone with information should call Horsham CID on 0845 6070999 quoting serial 104 of 24 December or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.