An Oxford University student is on the run in the south of France 36 hours after allegedly attacking an American banker in a St Tropez nightclub.

French police warned today that John Washington, a history student, could be dangerous.

He is suspected of attacking Colin Hall, 35, in the Les Caves du Roy nightclub in the early hours of Monday after the banker began chatting to Laura Clegg, another Oxford undergraduate from St Anne’s College.

Mr Hall is believed to have suffered serious head injuries and remains in hospital. "The doctors do not know if he will live," said a police spokeswoman.

Staff at the club, which is owned by the neighbouring Byblos Hotel, detained Mr Washington and called police and an ambulance.

Dan Bauer, a US friend of Mr Hall, is reported as saying that Mr Washington was questioned by officers but was released before it became apparent how serious the incident was.

Today, the police spokeswoman said that officers throughout France were on alert to try to find the student.

"All the gendarmes in France are looking for Mr Washington because of the gravity of what he allegedly did," she said. "He has not handed himself in so we are still searching for him because we believe he may be dangerous.

"He may be dangerous for us and for other people, we do not know what he might do. We are very keen to speak to him."

Ms Clegg, who was at Le Havre last night on her way home to Britain, said that the victim was a friend of hers from London, but would not speak further. The blonde student, who lives in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, is the social secretary of Oxford’s Law Society.

The alleged incident has been discussed in detail in a chat forum on a website entitled Oxford Gossip.

Mr Hall, originally from Chicago and living in Paris, is said to have been transferred by helicopter from hospital in St Tropez to Nice after his condition deteriorated significantly.

The Byblos Hotel’s manager, Antoine Chevanne, said he was "very upset" to hear about the events. "My sympathies are with the family of the person who was injured," he added.

On the website popmusic.com, Mr Washington - who is also American - claims to be a descendant of George Washington, the first president of the US. He describes himself as the "media’s token Washington in the US" who has hosted television programmes about his famous ancestor.

He is thought to have been in contact with friends who were today trying to persuade him to turn himself in.

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