A man said to be fighting for life after being found with serious head injuries on a Weymouth housing estate in now in a stable condition in hospital.
The man, in his 20s, was found unconscious in Beverley Road at Littlemoor just before 10pm on Saturday.
He was taken to Southampton General Hospital for urgent treatment.
Dorset Police say it is unclear how the man came to be injured and are appealing for witnesses. It is not yet known if anyone else was involved.
Residents said there was a big police presence in the area as the the force investigated, and a cordon covering a wide area was in place yesterday as an officer remained at the scene.
The cordon was around a sloping grass area at the bottom of Beverley Road near the blocks of flats.
Police were also seen combing the bushes following the incident on Saturday night.
A police spokesman said: "Dorset Police is investigating an incident where a man was found with head injuries on Beverley Road, Weymouth.
"We were called by the ambulance service at 9.54pm on Saturday to reports of a man aged in his 20s who had been located unconscious with head injuries.
"He was taken to Southampton Hospital."
The spokesman added: "Detective have launched an investigation to establish how the man came to sustain the injury and whether there was any third party involvement."
Although the circumstances of how the man came to be injured are not known, Littlemoor councillor Ann Weaving said that residents have been left feeling fearful after the incident.
She said: "Residents have told me they saw three or four ambulances and police. It's very sad. The man is known to everybody in the road.
"It's not something that happens regularly in Littlemoor...I'm just so upset about it. There's so much fear round there at the moment.
"I've been there and have tried to reassure people. Anyone who is feeling scared is welcome to give me a call."
In an update this morning, a spokesman for Dorset Police said the injured man is in a stable condition. He added that the investigation remains on-going.
Witnesses and anyone with information should contact Dorset Police on 101 quoting incident number 55190010008.
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