Chelmsford arrest as punched man left in serious condition

An 18-year-old man is in custody after a man was assaulted in Chelmsford and taken to hospital in a “life-threatening condition”.

Essex Police said the man was punched on the High Street at just before 23:55 BST on Friday before he then struck his head on the pavement.

Officers were called to the scene and tracked down a suspect at 00:18 through the city’s CCTV.

A teenager, from Billericay, was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and is being questioned.

Det Sgt Paul Olney said: “We ensured a swift and robust response to this incident and our inquiries are continuing.

“A man remains in a serious condition in hospital and our priority is establishing exactly what happened in the moments before, during and after this incident.

“His family are being supported.

“We believe there may have been a number of people passing or in the area at the time of this assault.”

He urged anyone with information to contact the force.