Brierfield councillors appealed for residents to stay calm and help police with their investigation into a sledgehammer attack on a 38-year-old man.

Police said the man suffered a fractured skull, punctured lung and two broken legs during the brutal assault by three men in Colne Road.

The incident comes less than two weeks after a man was attacked close to the Dixy Fried Chicken and Pizza takeaway, in Burnley Road.

Police say one line of inquiry is the attacks could be linked.

County Councillor Mohammed Iqbal said: “As a community leader I would appeal for calm and for all parties to sit down and sort out their differences.

"Violence doesn’t solve anything and this kind of behaviour - fighting in the street - is unacceptable.

“Members of the Brierfield community need to co-operate with police and if police get that co-operation they should adopt a zero tolerance attitude.”

Brierfield Councillor Naeem Ashraf echoed Coun Iqbal’s comments and reassured residents in the town.

He said: “Everybody just needs to be calm. Brierfield is still a safe place.”

* A 51-year-old man from Burnley and a 23-year-old man from Nelson have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the assault and were in custody yesterday.

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