UPDATE: Basingstoke residents asked to check gardens as attempted murder investigation continues

Officers investigating a serious assault in Basingstoke which has left a man fighting for his life are asking residents to check their gardens.

We were called to Gershwin Road at 10.50pm on Thursday (October 31) after a man was found with serious head injuries.

The 31-year-old man was taken to hospital where his condition is described as critical.

Our Major Crime Team has been carrying our extensive investigations to establish exactly what happened that night.

Detective Chief Inspector Justin Torgout said: “Our teams have been working around the clock in a bid to find those responsible for this brutal attack which we are treating as an attempted murder.

“We are continuing to follow-up several lines of enquiry as more information comes into us. We're still treating this as a targeted attack.

“We know from having spoken to witnesses in the area that a group was seen running away from the Gershwin Road area at about 11.50pm.

“This group was seen running along the footpath between Gershwin Road and Quilter Road, towards the play area alongside Quilter Road.

“We are now extending our house-to-house enquiries and are asking residents to check their gardens, sheds and bins for anything that shouldn’t be there.

“It is possible that those responsible dumped vital evidence along their escape route, in the hope that it will never be found, so this is where the support of residents can prove vital.

“The response from the community so far has been great and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support so far.”

He added: “We still want to hear from anyone who may have private CCTV or dash cam footage from these areas, so please call us if you think you may have captured something that could help.”

Any footage or information can be sent to us via our dedicated online portal here.

Or you can call us on 101, quoting 44190391459, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.