A MAN was stabbed during a mass brawl outside a Bolton nightclub.

His attacker is believed to have run into a nearby takeaway and grabbed a knife before assaulting him.

A fight broke out between a number of men in the Ikon club in St George's Road, Bolton, on Friday morning at around 1.45am and spilled out into the street.

The victim was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital but his injuries are not said to be life-threatening. A girl also suffered injuries.

Eight people from Bolton and Little Hulton aged between 19 and 22 have been arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed until November.

A man working at nearby Cafe Istanbul, who did not want to be named, said: "I saw bouncers throwing out a large group of people. They started fighting in the street.

"There were at least 20 people and they were running after each other. It spilled into the road and everyone was watching.

"A girl tried to intervene but was punched in the face. She was knocked to the floor. It was awful.

"I don't like to see incidents like this. It doesn't happen on a Friday and Saturday when the area is filled with police."

"I saw a man running with a long shiny sharp object. I saw it was a knife and he was slashing it towards another man.

"There were police everywhere a short time later and the injured man was taken to hospital."