A WINSFORD man is set to appear in court two days before Christmas after a being charged with a ‘vicious attack’ on his friend which allegedly saw him bite off his ear.

A dispute occurred between two friends on the roadside at Market Place in Winsford at around 9.40pm on Tuesday, September 13, which resulted in one attacking the other.

A 38-year-old man allegedly attacked his 32-year-old friend, punching him to the ground and biting off his right ear, before continuing to punch him causing a fractured eye socket.

The man was arrested and released on bail before being charged yesterday, Wednesday, with section 18 assault and section 20 assault.

The victim had an operation to repair the ear but the surgeons where unable to save the recovered part of the ear found at the scene by the police.

Insp Dave Snasdell said: “This was a particularly nasty attack where the victim – a friend of the offender – has received significant injuries and has lost part of his ear as a result of the attack.

“Luckily, these incidents are relatively rare, particularly when it’s two friends who are known to each other.”

The man is due to appear at Crewe Magistrates Court on December 23 for his first court hearing.