A BOLTON motorist was stabbed and another had his ear almost bitten off in a vicious fight over a parking space.

The men clashed this morning after both went for the same space on Longcauseway, Farnworth.

Traffic stopped on both sides of the busy main road as other motorists watched on in horror.

Both men were rushed to separate hospitals and detectives are now investigating the bizarre incident of 'road rage'.

The two men were saved from more serious injury by hero bus driver, Lee Bevan, from Westhoughton, who stepped in to give first aid. Lee had been driving his Ring And Ride bus, full of passengers, along the main road when he pulled over to what he thought had been a road traffic accident. The cool-headed aspiring paramedic shouted at the men to keep apart, rang for the emergency services on his mobile telephone and began to administer first aid to the motorist whose ear was almost severed.

Lee, aged 25, said: "I could not believe what I was seeing. I thought there had been an accident but when I saw a knife was involved I was sorry I had ever stopped.

"It seems the fight had started over a parking space they had both gone for.

"There were two men in an Escort and one in a wagon trying for it. "One guy's ear was hanging on by only a piece of skin and he looked in a bad way.

"It was unbelievable that two men could get into this state over a parking space.

"I did all I could do with the first aid kit I had available and was not put off by the injuries because I hope to become a paramedic.

"I tried once but was turned down, but am definitely going to try again. "In my two and a half years working on Ring And Ride I have dealt with pensioners who became unwell, but have never had to deal with anything quite like this before."

One of the men was taken to Hope Hospital and the other to Bolton General Hospital, where they were due to be interviewed by police officers.

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