THE police helicopter was called into action following a serious assault near Christchurch Railway Station yesterday evening.

Emergency services were called to the station shortly before 9pm following reports a man had been attacked.

A spokesman from British Transport Police said: “Our officers alongside colleagues from Dorset Police and the South Western Ambulance Service discovered a man had been seriously assaulted on the road near to platform one.

“The man has since been taken to Poole Hospital where he is going to be treated for significant head and facial injuries.”

The helicopter was launched in a bid to trace those responsible for the assault, who made off from the scene.

The police spokesman added: “Efforts to trace those responsible for the assault are ongoing. We are clearly in the very early stages of the investigation.

“There were a number of people in and around the station at the time of the incident and we would like to hear from anybody who witnessed the assault of anything of the build up to the incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log number 569 of October 18, 2014.