An English backpacker who was forced to fly home after an unprovoked knife attack in New Zealand has vowed to continue his trip of a lifetime once he is fully fit.

Freddie Wyatt, 22, of Brantingham, near Brough, was stabbed four times when accosted by six men in Christchurch, the Hull Daily Mail reported.

Mr Wyatt, who was travelling with friends Euan Corbett and Nick Cashmore, was planning to travel for four months, visiting Fiji, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali and the USA, but 10 days into the adventure he was subjected to an horrific knife attack.

But the Newcastle University graduate said he is determined not to be put off travelling and, after making a full recovery at home, will set off again.

He said: "My plan is to get a job for a few months and save some more money to go travelling again.

"The guys I was travelling with at the time carried on after they were released from hospital and they will be back before I head off, so I think I will have to go alone.

"But I've wanted to travel for a while, so I'm determined to go back to pick up where I left off."

During the attack Mr Wyatt was stabbed in the torso, elbow, shoulder and back, with one 10cm-deep wound narrowly missing his heart.

He also suffered a punctured lung, a fractured cheekbone, broken nose and two fractured ribs.

His friends said they were targeted by a group who were high on drugs and who had a problem with their British accents.

Eight English and Danish tourists - two women and six men - were attacked from behind by a group of men in Cashel on April 12.

Two of the tourists were stabbed, one suffered a broken wrist and others minor concussion and bruising.

Mr Wyatt had to stay in New Zealand for six weeks while his punctured lung healed so he could fly home.

He said: "I've been left with three scars.

"I know I am lucky to be alive, I could have died on the other side of the world if that knife had gone through my heart.

"But I still feel angry these people did this for no reason and forced me to cut short my trip, which I had been planning for a long time."