A MAN is in hospital with serious head injuries after being attacked in a residential street.

The man, aged in his 50s and from the New Town area of Colchester, was attacked shortly before 10.30pm when he was walking in Artillery Road.

Police have launched an appeal to find his attackers but they do not know how many were involved or exactly how the man was hurt.

Chris Potts, who runs the Foundry Arms, was the first one the scene on Thursday night.

He said: “We heard a massive bang outside - it sound like a car crash actually - and we ran outside.

“The man was lying there in the road and he was covered in blood. There was blood everywhere.”

The landlord added: “My wife called 999 and I cradled his head.

“I spoke to him. He was drifting in and out.

“He had no idea where he was at all.

“He thought he was at the Hythe. He said he had been at a friend’s place and had come back on the train.”

Mr Potts sat with the man, named locally as Clive Robinson, until the emergency services arrived about ten minutes later.

He added: “To be honest, at the time, we couldn’t work out if he had been beaten up or it was a hit-and-run.

“I asked him what had happened and he just didn’t know.

“At least it does look like the police are taking it seriously - they had CID down here all day Saturday doing door-to-door enquiries.

“I just hope they get to the bottom of it.”

It is understood the man suffered a bleed on the brain as well as a fractured skull.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Detectives from Colchester are investigating the assault of a man aged in his 50s in Artillery Street, which happened at 10.30pm on July 21.

“The suspects are believed to have been driving a Ford car.

“There was also an Audi in the vicinity with a partial index number of CE04 and the occupants may have witnessed the incident.

“The man is currently in hospital being treated for serious injuries.”

Anyone with information on the incident should contact Colchester CID on 101.

An ambulance service spokeswoman said one ambulance was sent to the scene alongside a rapid response vehicle.

The victim was taken to Colchester General Hospital but was subsequently transferred to Addenbrooke’s, in Cambridge, because of the extent of his injuries.

His condition was last night described as ‘stable’.