A FATHER-OF-TWO stabbed four times on his front doorstep today relived his ordeal and said: "I thought I was going to die."

Mark Winstanley still does not know if he will regain the use of his left-hand fingers after one of the slashes cut deep into his arm.

Mark, 28, of Gillibrand Street, Darwen, was attacked in the early hours of Saturday when he went out into the road after hearing a man call for help.

When he realised nothing was wrong, Mark asked the man to be quiet before turning to go back into his house.

The man stabbed him four times in his back, chest, side and arm. Police said he was lucky to be alive.

His wife, Andrea, was the first to come out and tend to him, leaving their children, Michael, two, and Georgia, five weeks, inside.

Mark said today: "I know I am lucky to be alive. I thought I was going to die.

"It was only when I was on the floor that I realised what was going on and that I had been stabbed.

"I am just glad Andrea did a first aid course where she works, at Blackburn College. She stemmed the flow of blood until the ambulance arrived.

"I just hope the police catch who did this. It was totally unprovoked."

Despite initially suffering breathing problems on his way to hospital, Mark's condition was described as comfortable before he underwent surgery over the weekend.

He returned to the home of his parents, Ray and Maureen, in Prunella Drive, Lower Darwen, late yesterday.

He said: "I don't know if there is any permanent damage done. Only time will tell.

"The doctors had a good look inside my arm, where the worst wound is, and said they couldn't be sure if any damage has been done.

"I can only hope. I will be staying here with my parents for a while. We really don't want to go home at the moment, it is too upsetting.

"I can't believe what happened. The man was mad."

Andrea, 29, told how she was going upstairs with the couple's five-week-old child Georgia at 2am when she heard shouting from outside and banging on their front door.

She added: "It all happened so quickly. It was just horrific.

"Mark came back into the house with blood spurting from his arm. He kept passing in and out of consciousness and he really thought he was going to die.

"He told me later there was a man sitting on a wall and Mark asked if he needed help.

"The man became abusive and as Mark turned to come back in he felt a sharp pain.

"We have no idea why he did it. There had been no trouble or anything like that."

Mark added: "I only realised I had been stabbed when I got back inside. I am lucky in one respect.

"I am grateful to the ambulance crew and the doctors for helping save my life. He just needs to be caught."

Det Sgt Paul Broxson, of Blackburn CID, said: "We have carried out investigations in the area to try and find witnesses.

"We urge anyone with any information to contact us. It appears to be a totally motiveless attack."