A JILTED man has been charged with the attempted murder of his love rival. Joseph Smith, 25, went to the Salisbury Street house of Graham Sale in the early hours of yesterday.

An argument turned violent and Mr Sale, 30, was stabbed with a knife.

At about 11pm last night Smith, who lives in Jennings Street, Rodbourne, was charged with attempted murder and was due to appear at Swindon Magistrates Court this morning.

It seems Smith may have been upset about breaking up with his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Dixson, three months ago.

Miss Dixson, with whom Smith has a young son, had started seeing Mr Sale and was in the house when the incident occurred.

A witness claims the two men argued and a violent scuffle began on the floor of the front room, during which Mr Sale was stabbed with an orange-handled knife. After the incident Smith ran to the police.

Mr Sale, branch manager of building material supplier Omnico Plastics, was last night in hospital with serious stab wounds.

The victim's housemate, Shane Thorpe, said Smith went to their Salisbury Street house just after midnight.

He was screaming and shouting and had kicked down the front door. He had brought with him his and Miss Dixson's young son. Miss Dixson took the son upstairs with her.

"There was a big scuffle and an argument and Graham was stabbed five times," said 28-year-old Mr Thorpe.

"They were rolling around in the front room and then Graham shouted 'help me', and said 'call the police, he's just stabbed me'."

The police were called and Mr Sale was rushed to the Great Western Hospital.

Mr Thorpe, who also works for Omnico on the Techno Trading Estate in Bramble Road, said he had been shocked by the attack.

"I was sickened by it," he said. "I didn't have time to think anything of it I was trying to prevent my lodger from dying.

"I didn't know how deep the stab wounds were. He was covered in blood everywhere and my only concern was him." Mr Thorpe accompanied the injured Mr Sale to the hospital.

"Before I left they had put a drain in his chest to drain the fluids," he said. "His lung was punctured."

Police sealed off the house for forensic investigators.

Mr Thorpe, who has lived with Mr Sale for 18 months, described his lodger as a 'nice bloke and a good friend'.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said last night Mr Sale was in a stable condition.

Andy Tate