Five arrested as man is left fighting for life

A MAN is fighting for his life in hospital after an alleged night-time attack that led to five men being arrested.

Paramedics found two men covered in blood following a suspected assault outside the Coco bar in Broadway, Peterborough city centre, shortly after 2.30am yesterday.

Police say a 21-year-old-man was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Another man, aged 59, was also taken to Peterborough City Hospital. His injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening.

Cambridgeshire Police arrested five men aged between 19 and 23 on suspicion of affray and held them in Thorpe Wood Police Station for questioning.

Onlookers watched as police officers and Scene of Crime Officers cordoned off the pavement outside Coco from 10am until 5pm yesterday as they searched for clues to help their investigation.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: “We were called at 2.44am to reports of concern for a man outside Coco on Broadway.

“A 21-year-old man was been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious possibly life-threatening injuries and a 59 year old man was taken to Peterborough City Hospital with serious injuries.

“A 23, 21, 20 and two 19-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of

PROBE: Police investigate the scene outside Coco after an alleged assault yesterday morning. affray. They are in custody.

“We are working through to try and establish what has happened by looking at CCTV and carrying out forensic examinations at the scene.”

Police have declined to say whether any weapons were thought to be involved or if they were searching for more people in connection with the alleged assault, when asked by the ET.

The incident has shocked people who work and shop in the city centre, who had to avoid the police cor- don.

The closed area initially included Talking Heads Hair Studio, in Broadway, but the cordon was restricted to the pavement surrounding Coco at around noon.

Employee John Tirone said: “We had to rearrange appointments.

“It was really busy when the police got here but nobody seemed to know what was going on. It’s usually quiet down here, we’ve not had anything as nasty as this before.”

Jan Osborne, of Cowbit, works in Broadway and said: “It’s worrying. There are young and old in this area, though I’m not sure how many people are here at 2.30am.”

An East of England Ambulance Trust spokeswoman said: “We were called to reports of an assault at 2.48am.

“There were two people covered in blood, and police were on the scene. One male had a mouth injury and one male had a head injury.”

Anyone with information should call Cambridgeshire police on 101.