Man beaten and stabbed in burglary at Colchester home
A man has been stabbed and beaten with a baseball bat during a burglary by four men at his home.
The victim, in his 30s, was struck around the head and stabbed three times in his lower legs at his address in Quayside Drive, Colchester, Essex.
He was forced to hand over an iPhone, a laptop computer and £600 cash in the attack about 23:00 GMT on Friday.
The injured man was taken to Colchester General Hospital where he is receiving treatment.
Det Con Tim Harris said: "This was an appalling assault and we urgently need to trace and arrest the people involved.
"The victim is a mature student at Essex University and we have been working with student welfare specialists at the university to support the victim and to warn other students against this sort of crime."
Mr Harris said that four black men aged in their late teens to late 20s were involved in the burglary.
They ran off across The Hythe heading towards B&Q. One of them was thought to be trying to conceal a laptop under his jacket.
Police are appealing for witnesses.