DETECTIVES have issued a warning about obstructing their investigations after a man who bleached a knife suspected to have been used in a town centre stabbing was jailed for 18 months.

Police launched an investigation after a man was stabbed in St John's Avenue, Colchester, in August.

Paramedics then alerted them they were treating a man matching the description of the suspected knifeman after he had boiling water hurled at his face.

The victim of the water attack had knocked on French's door in Sussex Road asking for help, and he had called the ambulance, but the next morning discovered the knife on a wheelie bin.

He cleaned it after hearing about the earlier stabbing and hid it elsewhere.

The 33-year-old received the prison term after admitting perverting the course of justice at Ipswich Crown Court.

Cleaned - the knife Brett French cleaned

PC Robert McWilliams, of Colchester CID, led the investigation.

He said: “We received calls about two serious and complex incidents in a short period of time, one involved a man receiving a knife wound and another involving a victim burn injuries.

“Both incidents were targeted and involved people known to each other. Neither victim was supportive or co-operative of our investigations.

“We questioned French as part of these investigations but had hid a knife that we suspect was used in one of the attacks.

“He then cleaned it with the aim of destroying evidence.

"The knife was located at his address and he was arrested and charged.

“The message is clear, if you an assist an offender and try to obstruct our investigations, you’ll be put before a court and sent to prison.”

Police arrested two men and a boy in connection with the incidents. They were later released without charge.

In court, French was told him cleaning the blade and removing any usable DNA may have caused the attempted prosecutions to fall down.