A Suffolk man accused of biting off the tip of his sister’s nose has been cleared of deliberately wounding her.

Before Ipswich Crown Court was William Price, 68, of Broadgrass Green, Elmswell, who denied wounding his sister with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm and was cleared by a jury after a four day trial.

Price claimed he had "nipped" her on the nose to stop her chewing his thumb to the bone after he was attacked by two sisters outside his home following a financial dispute last July.

Price needed treatment for a bite wound to his thumb and a cut to the head, while his sister required reconstructive surgery.

Price told police his sisters had been turned away from the address by his wife - at his behest - after they turned up while he was in bed recovering from gallbladder surgery.

He said they returned about 20 minutes later, each carrying a golf club, which he claimed they used to beat him around the head, hands, back and chest.

After wrestling one of his sisters to the ground, Price claimed she tried to "chew his thumb off" in an effort to seize back the club, and that he responded by "nipping" her nose until she pulled away.