Man loses part of ear and finger in 'horrendous' crossbow attack

The Liverpool man, believed to be in his 20s, was 'subjected to a sustained assault' with what is believed to have been a crossbow, police have said

File Image: A man lost part of his ear and finger after being shot with what is believed to have been a crossbow (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A man has lost part of his ear and finger after being shot with a crossbow in a "sustained assault", police have said.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, also suffered substantial leg injuries during the attack, which happened in Liverpool on Thursday afternoon.

His injuries, although serious, are not thought to be life threatening and he is receiving treatment at Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil McEwan said: "This was an horrendous attack which has left a man seriously injured.

"The victim was subjected to a sustained assault and suffered significant injuries, including partial loss of an ear and finger as well as substantial injuries to his legs, believed to have been caused by a crossbow."

Following the incident on Davidson Road in the inner city district of Old Swan, two males aged 22 and 16, both from the area, have been arrested on suspicion of assault.

A 38-year-old woman was also arrested for drugs offences.

DCI McEwan added: "We are still working to establish the full circumstances of this incident, but given the nature of the assault I would appeal to anyone who may have heard or seen anything to get in contact. Any information, no matter how small, could assist our investigation."

A house remains cordoned off and police are conducting house to house enquiries as the investigation continues.