INTERPOL has been called in to help find the true identity of a man jailed for a knife attack on his former fiancee.

Franco Cortigeli, aged 29, claims to be an Italian who came to Britain in 1998. He carries an Italian passport.

But Bexley police, who investigated the assault on Leighsa Petherick at her Ellenborough Road home in North Cray in August, believe Cortigeli is not his real name.

Further, they believe he is an illegal immigrant from a non-EU eastern European country, possibly Albania.

Cortigeli, who is known to have used a number of different names, was living in north London at the time of the attack, and was working in two Knightsbridge restaurants.

Checks with the Immigration Service can find no trace of his entry into Britain and no-one has any idea how long he has been in the country.

Bexley police are appealing for anyone with information to call them on 020 8284 9132.

Cortigeli pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court last week to unlawful wounding and possession of cocaine.

The court heard Miss Petherick, 26, who had broken off her relationship with Cortigeli, had been out with friends on August 13.

Following the night out, they had all returned to Miss Petherick's home for drinks.

After Miss Petherick went to bed, Cortigeli arrived at the house and at 4.30am began punching Miss Petherick in the face and verbally abusing her.

He threatened the friends with knives and ordered them to leave the house.

Cortigeli went back upstairs and struck several wounds to Miss Petherick's head.

She fled downstairs, where he pushed her to the floor, kicking her in the face and throat and using the knives again.

Her left hand was fractured as she tried to protect her face from the kicks and her back was gashed in several places.

Miss Petherick's friends fled but could hear her screams and called the police.

When officers burst into the house, Miss Petherick was lying on the living room floor covered in blood and Cortigeli was arrested.

Matthew Pardoe, mitigating, said Cortigeli had lost his temper but now realised his behaviour was unacceptable.

Sentencing him to three-and-a-half years in jail, Judge Hubert Dunn told him: "It was a shocking offence which had a bad effect on the victim."

He ordered Cortigeli be deported to Italy at the end of his sentence.