Tomahawk attack on forecourt

Police are on the hunt for a teenager with a tomahawk axe after he and two others chased and attacked a man walking his dog in Stratford’s main street.

The 38-year-old victim lost a tooth and ended up with a swollen face after Sunday night’s violence on a Z petrol station forecourt in Stratford.

Sergeant Paula Drewery, who is in charge of youth services and family harm in the town, said the fact a youth was wandering the streets with a tomahawk axe concerned her.

‘‘A young person was carrying a weapon of that magnitude. We’re taking it really seriously.’’

The victim had been walking along Stratford’s main street at around 10pm when three youths, who he did not know, approached.

An argument broke out between the four and the man and his dog began to run, with the

youths giving chase.

Drewery said the man got to the Z service station forecourt where one of the youths attacked him with the tomahawk, a singlehanded axe.

A staff member at Z raised the alarm.

The man refused an ambulance but went to his GP the following day.

‘‘The victim has lost a tooth and has a swollen face,’’ Drewery said.

It is not known if the dog was injured.

Police enquiries are ongoing and Drewery said they were looking over CCTV footage from Z.

Staff at Z Stratford declined to comment and a request to the company’s head office to speak to the person on duty at the time of the attack was refused.

‘‘The site staff member on duty at the time acted wisely when she saw the incident taking place on the forecourt,’’ Z’s national communications manager said in an emailed statement.

‘‘She immediately activated the alarm and then rang the ambulance.’’

Stratford police are appealing for witnesses.

‘‘A young person was carrying a weapon of that magnitude. We’re taking it really seriously.’’ Police sergeant Paula Drewery