Brit, 49, faces attempted murder charge in France after 'raping then repeatedly stabbing 60-year-old woman in the neck' in Nice

A British national was facing a charge of 'attempted murder' in France today after allegedly raping and then stabbing a woman repeatedly in the neck during a frenzied attack in the Mediterranean city of Nice.

The 49-year-old man is said to have carried out the assault in the early hours of Monday morning.

His victim, a 60-year-old woman, was meanwhile in intensive care with 'severe neck injuries,' said an investigating source.

None of those involved can be named for legal reasons covering the reporting of alleged sex offences in France.

Officers were called to Avenue Georges Clemenceau, close to Nice railway station, just before 1am on Monday.

'The attacker was being held down by a neighbour, who had heard the woman screaming inside an apartment block,' said the source.

'He was arrested at the scene, as the victim was rushed to hospital after being stabbed at least three times in the neck.

'The suspect, who was himself injured, remains in custody and is facing a criminal charge of attempted murder.'

The man who restrained the attacker told the Nice Matin news outlet: 'At first, I thought it was just two neighbours who had got into an argument.

'I could see him hitting someone who was no longer reacting. I had not seen the knife.'

The witness, aged 33 and a resident of the building, said he confronted the attacker in the lobby, and was told: 'Don't ***ing come near me, or I'll kill you.'

The man said he managed to disarm the attacker, before trying to stop the victim losing blood.

Eric Ciotti, the Mayor of Nice, said in a post on X: 'Tonight in Nice, on Avenue Georges Clemenceau, a woman savagely attacked with a bladed weapon escaped the worst thanks to the heroic courage of one of her neighbours.

'I salute this man, who intervened and managed to subdue the perpetrator, as well as the swift action of the [police patrol] that enabled his arrest. An exemplary act that surely saved a life.'

It is thought that the attacker knew his victim, having visited the apartment block on a number of occasions.

The investigation into the crime continues.

More to follow.