AVOCA BEACH SHARK ENCOUNTER

A man is in hospital after being bitten on the leg by a shark while swimming with his young grand-daughter on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Local surfer John Sojoski was pushing his grand daughter onto a wave when he was bitten by a small shark at Avoca Beach this morning.

The Copacabana grandfather fought off the shark by kicking his leg in and out of the water, before being taken to Gosford Hospital with deep cuts to his calf.

The beach was closed off while the Westpac Rescue Helicopter searched the water but there was no sign of the shark.