A 51-year-old man has been jailed for 12 years for slashing a drinker's neck in a "terrifying" attack in a pub in Coulsdon.

Stephen Jelley, of Brighton Road, armed himself with two knives and walked into Mango Bar at 10pm on June 1 to stab his 39-year-old victim as he sat reading a newspaper.

A staff member hit Jelley over the head with a glass collection basket, knocking him to the floor, but he climbed up again and continued the attack.

The victim, who suffered a deep neck wound, fled the pub and called the police. 

Officers found Jelley drinking in a pub in Croydon town centre the next day, arrested him and confronted him with clear CCTV footage of the attack.

Detectives initially charged him with attempted murder but he instead pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm at Croydon Crown Court on October 23.

He was jailed on Thursday.

Detective Constable Stephen Hall said: "Jelley had carefully planned to attend the pub with two knives and attack a man who, he felt, had mistreated him. 

"Whilst the victim was prompt to escape some of Jelley’s attempts to stab him, he still suffered a terrifying attack. The sentence Jelley has received clearly highlights the seriousness of his offence".