A FRIEND of Rob Knox made a frantic 999 call telling police a knife man was "after my mate", a court heard.

Nicky Lee Jones, aged 20, told the operator: "You need to get a police car down here now because otherwise he's had it."

The Old Bailey heard the transcript from the 999 call during the trial of Karl Bishop, charged with the murder of 18-year-old actor Mr Knox and five counts of wounding.

Mr Jones and friends had met Bishop at around midnight on May 24 near Tesco Express in Station Parade and told the court he was holding a knife in his hand.

He said: "The defendant turned around, pointed the knife at us and shouted 'what are you laughing at?'

"It was scary."

Before leaving the group alone, which included Mr Knox's younger brother Jamie, Bishop told them: "It's your lucky night - you're not getting done."

Mr Jones then phoned the police and told them: "He's after my mate, but we can't find my mate anywhere."

He told the operator: "I've got a boy walking down towards the Metro Bar in Station Road.

"He's got two knives on him, waving them about, waving them in my face.

"My mate had a punch-up with him earlier. The police came - it was all calmed down.

"Now they've come down with two knives."

He followed Bishop to the Metro Bar where he stood with two knives in his hands faced by a group of people, including Mr Knox, the court heard.

Mr Jones said Bishop told the crowd: "who's going to make my day?" and pointed the knife at Mr Knox.

He said: "He lunged forward. Towards the group but mainly towards Rob."

After friend Andrew Dormer took Bishop on, Mr Jones tried to grab the hand with one knife in.

He told the court Bishop tried to hit him with another knife and he put up his hand to protect himself and was stabbed with the blade.

Mr Jones said: "It went down the side of my hand and came out between my index finger and my thumb."

Showing the court his scar, he said: "It went flat all the way through my hand."

Mr Knox was then stabbed five times, one of the wounds to his chest, which proved fatal.

Mr Jones was later taken to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, where he needed two operations to repair the damage.

The court heard how Mr Knox and the defendant had clashed earlier in the evening outside the bar and again one week before.

For the defence, Ian Bourne claimed Bishop had put the knives back in his pockets before the attack and was surrounded with his back against the wall.

But Mr Jones denied this was the case, saying Bishop was armed throughout the encounter.

Bishop, aged 21, of Beaver Lodge, Carlton Road, Sidcup, denies murder and five counts of wounding with intent to cause GBH.

The trial continues.