Four men have been arrested after an assault in Liverpool city centre.
Police were called just before 7.35pm on Friday after a man in his 30s had suffered a serious head injury after being hit in the face and collapsing to the floor.
The incident took place close to McDonalds at the junction of Hanover Street and Ranelagh Street and the victim is understood to be visiting the city.
He was taken to hospital where his condition is described as critical but stable.
A forensic examination of the scene is ongoing and we ask that visitors to the city centre are patient as we conduct these enquiries. CCTV opportunities in the area are being explored and potential witnesses spoken to.
Four men, believed to be known to the victim, were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 wounding with intent and taken into custody for questioning.
They are a 19-year-old man from Redditch; a 26-year-old man from Birmingham; a 37-year-old man from Birmingham and a 31-year-old from Hollywood, Worcestershire.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Parry said: “This assault has left the victim in a critical condition during what should have been an enjoyable night out in Liverpool.
“People should be able to visit our city centre without any fear of being a victim of – or even witnessing – an incident such as this.
“If you were in the area of Church Street and Hanover Street at around 7.30pm on Friday and believe you may have witnessed any part of this incident, we appeal for you to come forward to police.
“It is vital that anyone responsible for bringing violence to the streets of Merseyside is brought to justice, and we appeal to the public to assist with our enquires into the incident. The information you have could prove vital to our enquiries.”
Anyone with information on this incident should contact Merseyside Police’s social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.
You can also report information via their website: merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101 quoting incident reference 25000256779.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here.