A man was stabbed in the back outside a Purfleet nightclub with a broken bottle.

The victim, 22, from Chelmsford, was on a night out at the Circus Tavern on Meads Corner when he was stabbed in the back leaving him with a nasty gash.

He was then taken to hospital where he was treated for his wound.

Although the police were called, the man refused to co-operate with them.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Police were contacted just after 2am on Friday, December 22, with reports of a man being stabbed in the back with a broken bottle while at the Circus Tavern in Meads Corner, Purfleet.

"The man, aged 22 from Chelmsford, went to hospital for treatment where he spoke with officers and refused to cooperate with a police investigation."