A MAN sustained serious head injuries following an assault in Bournemouth town centre.

Police were called to Old Christchurch Road at around 3am with reports that the man had been left unconscious following an altercation close to Bar Me in Old Christchurch Road.

A crew from South Western Ambulance Service was also called to the scene and took the 26-year-old man from Walsall in the West Midlands to Poole Hospital for treatment.

Two officers positioned a marked car across the road and set up a cordon next to the shared space area in Horseshoe Common to prevent traffic using the area.

A forensics officer from the Crime Scene Investigation team could also be seen swabbing a bench and looking on the pavement in the area within the cordon for evidence.

The police tape was then taken down at around 7.40am and officers were able to leave the scene.

Chief Inspector Jim Beashel of Dorset Police is appealing for any potential witnesses to get in touch and provide information about the incident.

He said: “We believe that the altercation involved a group of men and a number of people were in the area at the time.

“The victim is white, six feet tall and well built. He has black cropped hair and a tattoo on the arm. He was wearing a white T-shirt, blue shorts and blue flip-flops.”

Cllr Bob Chapman, who represents the ward of Bournemouth Central, said: “I am annoyed to hear that issues like this are happening outside of a licensed premises in Bournemouth.

“There must have been other people in the area at the time and I hope that they will do the honourable thing by telling the police what they saw or what they know.

“At the moment, we don’t know whether he had been in the bar beforehand or whether it was just a case of being in the wrong place in the wrong time.”

Despite the signage remaining above the venue, Bar Me is believed to have been closed to the public since around August last year.

No arrests have been made. Witnesses and anyone with information can email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk, visit Dorset.police.uk or call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 20:33