A TEENAGER who may have lost the use of his right arm after being stabbed on New Year's Eve has collected more than 300 signatures calling for his attacker to be given a tougher sentence.

As reported in last week's SNJ, stabbing victim Adam White was horrified when he learned the 16-year-old boy who stabbed him in the neck had been given a 52-week detention and training order.

Now Mr White, 19, from Hillcrest Court, Cashes Green, has launched a campaign calling for a stiffer penalty - and he says the whole community is behind him.

Supporters have signed petitions put up in shops around town at the weekend.

"Everyone's disgusted with the sentence," he said.

"What he did was as good as attempted murder. He almost killed me.

"It's shocked the community and everyone's been willing to sign my petition."

The assault - which left a 6cm neck wound - damaged his spinal chord and left his right arm paralysed.

Doctors hope a nerve graft will allow him to regain movement in his arm. However, for the time being he has been forced to give up his job as a metalworker.

"If I don't get the use of my arm back my life will not be worth living," he said.

"At the moment I am just trying to cope. I am under a lot of stress.

"It has really messed up my life. I'm living on income support and incapacity benefit. I just hope my job is still open for me."

The mother of Mr White's attacker begged Stroud magistrates to jail her son - who cannot be named for legal reasons - at last week's hearing.

Custody was the only way to stop his persistent violent behaviour, she said.

The court heard the boy had drunk 10 pints of lager before stabbing Mr White near the Brewers Arms pub in Gloucester Street, Stonehouse.