Darwin’s man nose bitten off in brawl

Police in Darwin last night arrested a man who bit another's nose off in a fight.

When officers arrived they found a man holding his head in his hands with the gruesome sight of his nose lying on the ground nearby.

The 23 year-old had been in an early morning drunken fight, according to a report by AAP.

A police spokesman said “alcohol was a factor” in the fight.

He said he understood the man was due to undergo surgery to reattach the nose today.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said the man was in a stable condition.

Darwin Watch Commander Bob Harrison told the ABC that police get called to fights in Darwin's city center most nights but during his long career he has never come across a similar situation.

"I've been in the job for just over 30 years and I don't think I have been to a fight where someone has had a nose bitten off," he said.

A 43-year-old man was arrested and is in police custody, facing a possible charge of aggravated assault.