POLICE have appealed for help in catching a thug who stabbed a man in the stomach with a broken champagne flute in the middle of a crowded bar.

Officers were called to Funky Mojoes in South Woodford High Road at about 1am on Sunday after a 29-year-old had the glass thrust into his abdomen when he tried to break up a fight.

The victim is only thought to have realised he had been stabbed after finding blood on his clothes when he went to toilet, allowing the man responsible to walk out of the bar unchallenged.

Mojoe's owner Ross Drogman said he would do anything he could to help police track down the person responsible for the assault, which comes just over a week after the nightspot was granted an extended 2am weekend licence.

He said: "He had no idea he had been stabbed until he went to the washroom and saw blood.

"He had been in the VIP area at the time, but no-one knows what happened.

"The bar was busy as always on Saturday but no-one saw it.

"We'll assist the police in any way we can."

The injured man was taken to Whipps Cross University Hospital for treatment, where he remains in a stable condition.

The stabbing comes at a bad time for Mojoes, which has been under the spotlight since its weekend operating hours were extended by the council at a review hearing on Tuesday, October 20.

But Mr Drogman said violent assaults were a rarity at the bar.

He said: "We've somehow got a reputation for having a lot of trouble here but this is totally unfair.

"This is the first glassing we have had since we opened. We had only four police calls here over the past year, which is a very good record for a bar.

"Safety is our first priority, and we have 15 security staff on duty to stop trouble before it starts."

A police spokeswoman said: "A male had been drinking with friends in the VIP area when he intervened in an argument between two other males in the club.

"One of these males then stabbed him in the abdomen with what is believed to of been a broken bottle or glass.

"Although (the victim's) injuries were not life threatening it could have been much worse."

The man thought to be responsible for the stabbing is described as black, in his 20s, 6ft tall, with short dreadlocks.

He was wearing a blue coat with a black fir collar and a gold chain around his neck and right wrist.

Anyone with information should contact: DC Adam Whitehall on: 8345 2635 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on: 0800 555 111.