A MAN was hit with a hammer and stabbed in the hand after his car was forced to stop by another vehicle in Essex.The attack happened shortly after 7pm on Friday night close to the roundabout junction of Berechurch Road, Berechurch Hall Road and Bounstead Road at Maypole Green near Colchester.

By Roddy Ashworth

A MAN was hit with a hammer and stabbed in the hand after his car was forced to stop by another vehicle in Essex.

The attack happened shortly after 7pm on Friday night close to the roundabout junction of Berechurch Road, Berechurch Hall Road and Bounstead Road at Maypole Green near Colchester.

Both vehicles involved were travelling towards Bounstead Bridge.

As the 36-year-old victim's blue Ford Mondeo came to a stop, two men got out of the other car.

One of them walked to the passenger side of the Mondeo and smashed the door window with a hammer.

He then hit the victim on the head and legs with the weapon.

Meanwhile another man went around to the drivers' side door and opened it before stabbing the victim in the hand with a knife.

Both men, who are described only as being white, then got into their vehicle and drove off in the direction of Layer-de-la-Haye.

The victim of the stabbing, from Layer, phoned the East of England Ambulance Service who in turn alerted police due to the nature of the man's injuries.

The man was taken to Colchester General Hospital where he was treated. Police said his condition was stable.

A police spokesman said: “This is a highly unusual and rare attack, and we would like to find out just why it happened as the victim has been unable to tell us.

“We are obviously trying to identify the assailants and the car they used to carry out this assault, but at this moment in time we cannot be sure of the offending vehicle.

“As a result we would like to speak to any motorists who were using any of those three roads between 7pm and 7.30pm on Friday evening and who saw either the Mondeo or another car driving at high speed.

A search of the area was carried out by road policing officers as well as local units, but nothing was found.

Anybody with any information about the attack is asked to contact police on 01206 762212.