A MAN has been left seriously injured after allegedly being abused and hit by a tree branch in a racist attack.
Cops swooped on Haverhill’s Tesco supermarket, in West Suffolk, at around 7.45pm yesterday after reports of man injured in the car park.
Police said that the victim, a man in his 40s, was assaulted a short time earlier, at around 7pm, on the old railway line footpath in the town.
The man was walking with his partner when he was approached by a group of around 5 young males who shouted verbal abuse, said police.
But after he tried to speak to them, one of the males allegedly hit him on the head with a large branch, according to cops.
The man was taken to Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge with a significant head injury.
His condition is described as stable at this time.
Officers are dealing with the incident as racially aggravated grievous bodily harm.
Suffolk Police said a second incident occurred in the town around the same time.
Cops received reports of a man carrying a large machete-type weapon in the vicinity of Tesco in Haverhill at around 7.32pm.
The man was reported to be shouting at members of the public before leaving the area.
No threats were directly made and nobody was injured.
The suspect is described as a white man wearing a black jumper and black trousers.
The force are investigating whether the two incidents may be linked.
Police are urging anyone who may have CCTV, doorbell footage, or dashcam recordings from the area at the time to come forward.
Members of the public who witnessed either incident or have information that could assist the investigation are asked to contact Suffolk Police.
The grievous bodily harm incident should be reported under crime reference number 37/22010/26 and the knife incident under 37/21933/26.
