Carlisle garage baseball bat attack man 'stable'
A man who suffered serious head injuries when he was attacked with baseball bats is in a stable condition, Cumbria Police said.
The 32-year-old also suffered a broken shoulder when he was set upon on the forecourt of Whiteclosegate petrol station, in Carlisle, on Wednesday.
Three men carried out the attack and left in a P-reg, green, Subaru car that was later found burned out in a field.
Officers said the victim's "devastated" family was at his bedside.
A spokeswoman for the Cumbria force said officers had not yet managed to speak to the victim and were trying to establish a motive for the attack.
She added that they did not believe the Subaru, registration P990 MKP, was stolen and officers were trying to trace previous owners.
Police believe a second vehicle was also involved and the attackers - believed to be from the North East - travelled in convoy.
Det Chf Insp Jeff Ashton said: "This was a very serious, targeted attack against a man who has suffered significant injuries.
"We believe the attackers travelled in convoy with another vehicle and we are continuing to scour CCTV to try and establish the details of the other vehicle.
"The victim's family is devastated by what has happened and have remained at his bedside since he was taken to hospital.
"We are determined to get answers for them and bring these people to justice."