The man stabbed in Colchester early yesterday morning remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Essex Police confirmed the victim was in a “stable but non-life threatening condition” as the force released a CCTV image of man officers wanted to speak to in connection with the stabbing.

The stabbing happened following an altercation in High Street at around 4.30am when the victim, a man in his 20s, was stabbed in the stomach with what is believed to be a screwdriver.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “He was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where he still remains in a stable, but non-life threatening condition.”

The attack has been condemned by community leaders and knife crime campaigners.

Caroline Shearer, who founded Only Cowards Carry after her 17-year-old son Jay Whiston was fatally stabbed in Colchester in September 2012, called for the community to take more responsibility in reporting incidents.

She said: “The community needs to keep on pushing and keep on reporting it.

“If you are with someone who is carrying this type of weapon, just report it because you could save someone’s life.

“There must have been other people around who saw something and they need to be brave and do the right thing.

“We can’t have a police officer on every street corner for 24 hours a day, we need to start doing our bit.

“Because it’s another family by a young man’s bedside tonight, everyone is affected. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters – everyone has to deal with it. It’s not just one or two people affected.”

Will Quince, MP for Colchester, said: “Any incident of this nature is horrific.

“We await further details from the police but the increase in this type of ‘knife’ crime across Essex is a concern, which is why I have raised this issue many times in parliament and will continue to do so.”

Witnesses, or anyone with information, can contact Colchester CID on 101, quoting incident 151 of March 18, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.