A gym owner has described the moment he saw blood gushing from the neck of a stabbing victim, as terrified families watched on in horror.

Giles Barr-Thomson, who owns Ruckus in Lowestoft, was at his newly-opened gym on October 26 last year when he witnessed a commotion outside on London Road North.

As a large group ran in the direction of Station Square, Mr Barr-Thomson thought twice about investigating what was going on out of fear for his own safety.

But seconds later he saw a man stumble into the nearby McDonald's, blood pouring from a stab wound on his neck.

'All I saw initially was quite a few people - maybe about 10 - running past the front of the gym towards Station Square,' said Mr Barr-Thomson. 'I wasn't 100pc sure what was going on.

'As I looked out of the front window the gentleman who had been attacked went into McDonald's. He ripped off his top and I could see there was blood gushing from his neck.

'I didn't initially want to go outside because there was such a commotion, but then I saw all these terrified families in McDonald's staring at the victim.

'My son found our first aid bag and I went outside to try and help him.'

With police scrambling to find those responsible for the attack, Mr Barr-Thomson's central focus was the wellbeing of the victim.

The 39-year-old went straight to the wounded man before administering first aid by applying pressure to the cut.

'I said to him who I was and that I wanted to help him, and tried to explain how potentially serious the cut was,' added Mr Barr-Thomson. Considering what had happened he seemed okay - just upset at what the attacker had done to him.

'When the police came to me I just explained to them what had happened as best I could.'

Almost six months later, Jason Hamilton of Suffolk Road, Lowestoft, was this week convicted for his attack on the victim.

The 46-year-old was found guilty of wounding, but cleared by a jury of theft, having a knife and wounding with intent.

'People don't realise how much damage they can do,' said Mr Barr-Thomson. 'They said at the hospital that the stab wound was a couple of millimetres away from being fatal.

'I've seen the victim since and he has thanked me several times.'