A man has been attacked with a metal bar during an attempted street robbery in Swindon.
The victim, aged in his 20s, was left needing surgery after the serious assault carried out by three men on Caulfield Road, Gorse Hill, at around 7.10pm on Thursday evening.
Wiltshire Police say the men were trying to steal the victim’s mobile phone.
He suffered serious facial injures during the incident, and has been transferred from the Great Western Hospital to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he’ll undergo a specialist operation.
Det Sgt Adrian Bray, from Swindon CID, said: “This was a vicious attack on an innocent victim, who has been left in a serious condition and is now awaiting surgery to have metal plates inserted into his jaw.
“We are still in the early stages of our investigation, as the incident was not reported to us until yesterday, so we are appealing to the public to help us identify our suspects.
“Were you in the area at the time and did you either witness the incident or see a group of men acting suspiciously? Were you driving in the area at the time and potentially have dashcam footage?
“We are urging anyone with information to contact police and help us catch these attackers.”
It’s understood the attackers were three white men, who had their heads and faces covered.