A man with blood streaming down his forehead was seen stumbling around Laindon station yesterday afternoon after being stabbed in the head.

The dazed victim, in his late twenties, was first spotted at the Station Gate Shopping Centre at around 2pm.

He slumped onto the pavement outside the Station Cars minicab firm and received help from staff who called the emergency services.

A cab office controller, who did not want to be named, said: "The first we saw was him staggering around the corner towards the office on our CCTV screen.

"He was bleeding really badly and pleading for help outside the office.

"I don't know how it happened, he didn't want to say much and was quite secretive, so we just called the ambulance and waited with him until it arrived.

"There was a lot of blood, it looked like he had been slashed across the back of the head a few times.

"It's not the sort of thing you expect to happen here."

The victim, who was black, was so dazed from his injuries he was unable to tell police what happened.

An Essex police spokesman said: "The guy was taken to the hospital and officers spoke to him there.

"Unfortunately, he wasn't forthcoming.

"We have no idea as to the motivation for the attack."