Police are appalling to graffiti artists in a bid to catch a young knife attacker.

The move came after a man was stabbed while attempting to prevent two youths from vandalising a bus shelter in south Croydon, south London, on October 10.

The youths were scrawling graffiti on the shelter with a black pen when the victim and his girlfriend stopped their car.

A scuffle ensued and the man, who is now in a stable condition in hospital, was stabbed.

The first suspect, who stabbed the victim, is described as being a slim, light skinned black teenage male with a crooked or protruding front tooth, aged between 16 and 18. He was wearing a green hooded top with a dark hat.

The second suspect is a shorter white male of similar age with short, fair/light brown hair. He was wearing a black and white baseball cap.

Police are appealing to anyone who owns any of the following graffiti tags or signatures - DTM, LAMAH, REAH, BEAH or BEAM - to get in touch.