A MAN was hit with a bottle as he sat in a van on a busy Dorchester route, before an attack with a knife and a mallet.

The drama unfolded at the Top O’Town Roundabout at around 7.30pm on Friday (May 2), police said, as two men travelled in a white Citroen Berlingo van.

A Dorset Police spokesperson said “a man approached the nearside window on foot and assaulted one of the men with a glass bottle”.

“The men were able to drive away onto High West Street when they noticed the suspect was a passenger in a 4×4 black Volvo that was travelling behind them,” they added.

“The vehicles travelled out of the town centre and when they were on Slyer’s Lane, they were involved in a collision.

“It is reported that the occupants of the Volvo got out of their vehicle and assaulted one of the men from the van with a knife and a mallet.

“The suspects subsequently fled the scene in the Volvo in the direction of the town centre.”

The victims sustained injuries that are not believed to be serious.

Detective Inspector Rhys Griffiths, of Dorset County CID, said: “We are continuing to investigate this incident and from our initial enquiries, we believe it involves people who are known to each other.

“I am appealing to anyone who was in the town centre and saw what happened, or has information about the incident, to please come forward.

“In particular, I am keen to identify road workers who were at the Top O’Town Roundabout and may have seen the initial incident.

“Also, I am keen to speak to any motorists who were travelling along High West Street or Slyer’s Lane and may have captured anything of relevance on dashcam footage.”

Anyone with information about the attack should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55250062290, or Crimestoppers anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or on 0800 555 111.