Three charged over man stabbed in boy racer row

Three men have been charged with assault and will appear in court this morning after a man who confronted boy racers on his street was stabbed.

The man is in hospital and in a stable condition after being stabbed several times with a traditional Maori weapon.

The 30-year-old, from Port Waikato, was flown to Auckland's Greenlane Hospital after an attack in which a man beat him on the head before repeatedly stabbing him with a patu - a paddle-shaped club used for hand-to-hand combat. It is made from bone, greenstone or wood.

The attack happened shortly before 6pm.

Northern police communications inspector Lou Alofa said there were grave fears for the man last night.

"He's got a bang on the head and stabbed in the chest - several times - with a patu," Mr Alofa said.

The attack happened just days after police were called to the address, where the resident had complained of a group of people doing burnouts outside the property.

"There is a suggestion that the offenders were doing burnouts [days before] and the victim has come out, had a go at them, and now they've come back and attacked him."

The victim's parents called the police following the attack and said the group of attackers had left the property in a car headed towards Tuakau.

Police later stormed a house in the area and one man was last night in police custody. Two others were arrested later.

- With NZ HERALD STAFF