A man nicknamed Robin Hood because he wears medieval-style clothes has been jailed for life after attacking his neighbour with a 3ft sword.

Edward McDonald, 59, who was wearing a lace-up smock and leggings and has a long beard, hammered on his neighbour Thomas Blackman's door during a row about noise nuisance.

He attacked Mr Blackman with such force the blade cut through the flesh and fractured the bone in his arm.

McDonald, of Kennedy Court, Stonehouse Drive, Hastings, a patient at Ashenhill Hospital, a secure unit at Hellingly, near Hailsham, denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was convicted by a jury at a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

He will serve a minimum of five years in prison before being considered for release.

Judge Richard Hayward told McDonald, who collects swords and daggers, he was a serious danger to the public.

The judge told him: "This was a terrible attack. You have shown no remorse but this may reflect your mental health problems."

The court heard the attack happened in July last year after a long-running dispute over noise. McDonald was armed with a decorative sword when he launched his assault.

After he was hit with the sword, Mr Blackman said he managed to slam the door in his face and rang a friend saying: "I have just been attacked by Robin Hood."

After his arrest, McDonald told police he had been asleep at the time of the attack.

The court heard McDonald had previous convictions connected to having swords, including being sentenced to two years in 1993 for wounding a man with a sword after an argument.

In 1997, he was given a six-month conditional discharge for threatening behaviour after punching a Big Issue seller and threatening him with a sword.

In 1999, he was in a court in London for having two-bladed articles at a Job Centre.

The jury sent a note to the judge which stated: "In the light of his mental state, we wish to express unanimous concern he receives appropriate mental health care in a suitable institution."

Richard Merz, defending, said: "It may be his mental health was causing him trouble at the time."