A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being attacked by youths in what police say was one of a series of attacks in a Lincolnshire town.
The man, in his 30s, reported being hit several times on the head with a piece of wood in Gainsborough on Tuesday.
The incident on Aisby Walk was one of four assaults and robberies in the town since Monday, according to police.
Three teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and robbery.
All three had since been released on conditional bail, Lincolnshire Police said.
In a fourth incident, on Elsham Walk, a man in his 40s told police on Tuesday that three youths had demanded he hand over his backpack and his mobile phone. He was not injured in the incident.
Officers said they believed the attacks were linked and they appealed for information.
Det Sgt Mike Head said: “We believe these robberies and assaults have all been entirely unprovoked and violent incidents, which have had a significant impact on the victims as well as the local community.
“We understand these details will be really worrying for people living and working in those communities to hear, and we want to reassure you we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety.”
Detective Sergeant Mike Head, said: “We believe that these robberies and assaults have all been entirely unprovoked and violent incidents, which have had a significant impact on the victims, both physically and mentally, as well as the local community.
“We would like to appeal to anyone who has information about these incidents to come forward. We are particularly keen to see any mobile phone footage, dashcam footage, or CCTV of any of the incidents.
“We understand that these details will be really worrying for people living and working in those communities to hear, and we want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety. This includes additional patrols in the area, as well as other tactics which we can’t talk about right now while we our investigation is underway to bring those responsible to justice.”
If you have any information which can help with our investigation, please contact us in the following ways:
By calling 101, quoting the relevant incident number.
By emailing force.control@lincs.police.uk quoting the relevant incident number in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
Officers said the victim of the Aisby Walk incident was subjected to a “sustained assault” after his attackers demanded money from him.
Meanwhile, a man in his 20s and a man in his 30s suffered cuts and bruises after similar incidents in Hickman Hill on Monday and in the Middlefield Lane area on Tuesday, police said.
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