A father had his finger bitten off in a brawl with another parent as they waited for their children's nativity play to begin. A shocked onlooker said the man who bit off the finger 'spat the blood out like a animal' as the two fathers clashed ahead of the Christmas play at Harton Primary School in South Shields. The 32-year-old victim was treated for the injury at hospital before being discharged, while the 39-year-old man was arrested and given bail on suspicion of assault.