A British tourist has had emergency surgery in Portugal after he and five holidaymakers were stabbed in a bar by a man reported to be Irish. They were watching the FA cup final in the Happy Hangover bar in the Algarve resort of Albufeira.
The men, all British, were reportedly attacked by an Irishman wielding a kitchen knife after a fight started during television coverage of Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Saturday.
The attacker was arrested and is being held by police, according to a British consular official. He said one of the injured tourists had undergone surgery after his finger was severed in the fight.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin said there had been no confirmation that the man was Irish. The Portuguese authorities were investigating and they had not contacted the Irish Embassy in Lisbon, he said.
Another man in the group was reported to have lost an ear in the incident. The men, who were staying in self-catering apartments in the seaside town, are believed to be from Liverpool and Glasgow
A British consulate spokesman: "It seems there was a lot of drinking in this bar while they were watching the football match on television. As the game came to a conclusion a fight broke out in which several people were injured with a knife.
"It seems to have been an unpleasant incident. The local police have arrested a man and we are awaiting further details."
All but one of the five men were released from hospital in Faro yesterday. The remaining man underwent an operation to attach severed tendons in his hand, according to the British consulate.
The injured tourists had been staying in the Areias Sao Joao area of the resort on a package tour with First Choice travel company. A spokesman for the firm said: "We are deeply concerned to learn of this incident involving our customers. We can confirm it took place in a bar in the resort and a knife was involved. The matter is in the hands of the local police. However, we take every step to ensure the care and safety of our holidaymakers."