A man who was already serving a suspended prison sentence has been jailed for less than a year following a stabbing during a mass brawl at Thorpe Park.

Craig Harakh, 26, of Washbrook House, Lambeth, was sentenced to 11 months inside for affray that left one man needing surgery for a stab wound.

The two groups clashed on a bridge near the entrance to the theme park in Chertsey, Surrey, at around 4.30pm last July 18.

The 27-year-old victim was taken to a London hospital in a serious condition and was treated for a slash wound to his stomach.

He was discharged a few days later following surgery and no-one else was hurt in the altercation, according to police.

The park stayed closed temporarily while police carried out their investigation and the suspects were hunted.

Harakh was arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

A second man was arrested and later released with no further action.

At Kingston Crown Court yesterday (Mon), Harakh pleaded guilty to one count of affray but was found not guilty of wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article.

A judge sentenced him to seven months in jail for the affray and four months for breaching a previous suspended sentence, making it a total term of 11 months.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Nathan Dunstan of Surrey Police,  said: “We would like to thank the visitors to the park that day, who were delayed in leaving as a result of our enquiries.

“We would also like to thank the team at Thorpe Park for their assistance during this investigation.

“We will continue to work hard to tackle knife crime in Surrey, which simply cannot be tolerated in our local communities.”