A BOURNEMOUTH student could have died after he was stabbed in the neck as he walked back to his hotel.

His life was saved by his friend who managed to stem the blood flow and phone for help.

The attacker just missed a major artery in the brutal assault.

Francesco Antonini, who is studying English at the Anglo European school, was attacked just minutes after leaving a Brighton nightclub with a friend.

The unprovoked assault occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Speaking of his frightening ordeal on Monday, Francesco, 22, from Charminster, said: "We were walking back to our hotel when two men came towards us.

"One ran into me and I didn't realise he had slashed my neck until I looked down and saw blood pouring down on to my clothes.

"My friend Tony Harvey saved my life. With one hand he put pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow while he phoned for an ambulance with the other. Fort-unately Tony had first-aid training while he was in the Navy."

Francesco was rushed to hospital.

"Luckily the blade hadn't cut through an artery in my neck or I could have died," he said. "Doctors said I was very lucky to be alive and allowed me to leave the next morning.

"I didn't see a knife and they told me a razor blade may have been used by my attacker. It all happened so quickly I can't remember what he looked like."

A police spokeswoman said the attack, in an area frequented by gay clubbers, was being treated as homophobic. Officers are checking CCTV camera footage in the St James Street and have appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened at about 3.30am on Saturday.

"No arrests have been made but our investigations are continuing," the spokeswoman added.