Nelson Police are investigating a serious assault that left a man with multiple facial fractures early on Christmas morning.
The 29-year-old was left lying unconscious near the Burger King in Richmond, after being attacked by a group of four or five men just after midnight.
He was treated at Nelson Hospital before being flown to Hutt Valley Hospital with multiple facial injuries.
Detective Sergeant Lex Brunning says the unprovoked attack was particularly vicious and had the potential to be fatal.
He says they're appealing to anyone who has information about the attack, or who may have witnessed it, to contact Nelson Police.
