A Birmingham Royal Ballet star was almost blinded after he was attacked by a gang of thugs.

Dominic Antonucci – a favourite with audiences at the Birmingham Hippodrome – was beaten and robbed after being set upon in broad daylight during the company’s visit to Manchester earlier this month.

He is understood to have had an operation to correct a detached retina, and also suffered cuts and bruises across his body.

The city’s famous ballet dancers were appearing at Salford’s showpiece Lowry Theatre, and Dominic was walking in nearby Ordsall Park when he was attacked, Greater Manchester Police confirmed.

The harrowing incident happened at 11am on Saturday, February 1, a few hours before the company took to the stage for a matinee performance of The Prince of the Pagodas as part of a theatre tour.

Two men and a teenager have since been charged in connection with the attack.

The American star has become a household name in the world of dance after progressing through the ranks at Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Company director David Bintley CBE has described Dominic as “a hugely versatile performer”, with a “strong masculine presence.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet declined to comment on Dominic’s ordeal.

Greater Manchester Police said that a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old man had been charged with assault after being arrested shortly after the incident. A 17-year-old faces an unspecified charge.