A GRANDFATHER was slashed in in the face after he tried to defend his daughter.

William Nesbitt, fromGateshead, was visiting his daughter Andrea Rodwell in Thornaby, near Stockton, when a youth attacked him.

The 63-year-old was walking home from the Roundel pub and was on Orkney Way in Thornaby with his daughter on Friday night, just before 11pm, when they passed two youngsters.

Ms Rodwell, who has four children, said: "One of the youths made a sexual, nasty comment to me, and as anyone would, my dad told him he was out of order. The youth sliced my dad's face open with a blade of some sort and battered him to the ground.

"My dad is distraught, as are we all."

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the attacker made off in the direction of Littleboy Park.

Ms Rodwell said her father could easily have been killed. Her was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees and had stitches in a deep cut near his eye.

The attacker was said to be white, in his late teens, with light blonde, short hair, and about 5ft 7ins tall. He was wearing a light grey tracksuit bottoms and a white t-shirt.

The other youth was wearing dark jeans and a brown hoodie.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101.