Three men arrested following serious assault and car chase in Nelson

A 30-year-old Nelson man, a 32-year-old Brierfield man and a 25-year-old Blackburn man remain in custody.

Officers found a man in his 30s with a serious head injury in Manchester Road on Tuesday after being called to the scene by the North West Ambulance Service at 10pm. The assault is believed to have happened in Every Street.

A BMW X5 – thought to have been in pursuit with another vehicle – then collided with a house in Manchester Road at the junction with Lomeshaye Road at at 2-30am. A man in his 30s was seriously injured.

Officers conducted a stop and search operation under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 after being alerted to people in Every Street, Lomeshaye Road and the general vicinity of Nelson carrying weapons or other prohibited articles.

The above incidents are being treated as linked and targeted. There is not thought to be any wider threat to the public but patrols have been increased as a precaution and to disrupt any further criminal activity.

Det Supt Nick Connaughton, of East Division, said: “We take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and will not tolerate violence of any kind on our streets. We have increased patrols in the impacted areas to pro-actively disrupt any further behaviour of this kind and to provide reassurance to the public.”

Enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information or CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage should contact the police urgently via https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/ or 101, quoting log 131 of May 10, 2023.