A man suffered stab wounds after refusing to give his attacker a cigarette.
The incident happened in Greenstead Road, near the junction with Davey Close, in Colchester at about 2am on Sunday, September 11.
An Essex Police spokesman said the victim told officers that a man asked him for a cigarette.
When he did not give him one, he was stabbed in the back and leg.
The knife is believed to have been discarded in the Greenstead Road area.
Police have described the attacker as about 6ft tall and of medium build, wearing a hat, dark clothing and a black mask over his face.
He is said to have a London accent.
On the same night, a man was stabbed while sitting in his BMW outside a takeaway in the city centre.
Police are now appealing for anyone with information related to the incident, or anyone who may have found the knife, to come forward.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Essex Police, quoting crime reference number 42/234940/22.
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