A MAN is unconscious in hospital with serious head injuries after he and his friend were attacked in Daneshouse in the early hours of Monday.

Dean Watson is in a 'serious but stable' condition and Michael Royal is recovering at home from head and face wounds.

The men, both in their mid 20s, were assaulted in Holbeck Street, Burnley, after they left nearby New Hall Street Working-Men's Club at 2am.

"It was a vicious attack, and the motive is unclear at this stage," said Detective Inspector Ron Griffiths, the man leading the inquiry.

"We believe they were attacked by two men and we think some kind of weapons were used. We have serious concern about the condition of Mr Watson."

The injured men were taken by ambulance to Burnley General Hospital. Mr Watson was transferred to Blackpool Victoria and Mr Royal was discharged after treatment for head and face wounds.

Mr Griffiths said: "We are trying to trace people who were in the working-men's club and anyone who was in the vicinity of the attack at the time. We want to establish if any vehicles were seen and if the two injured men had been followed from the club. Any information will be treated in confidence."

Detective Sergeant Mark Gray said: "Both attackers were of average build and height. One was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers and had very short hair. The other had dark hair, a dark top and dark trousers."

Detectives are making house-to-house inquiries.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.