A man was rushed to hospital after he was punched in the head as he was leaving a takeaway in Rawtenstall.

Police were called to a report a man had been assaulted on Bacup Road shortly before 1am on Monday, August 31.

The victim had been punched in the head by another man as he was leaving Mimi's Takeaway, causing him to fall and hit his head.

The 36-year-old victim, who suffered a fractured skull as a result of the attack, was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He has since been discharged.

Officers are investigating the incident and are asking anyone who witnessed the assault, or nearby properties who may have CCTV of the area, to come forward.

DS Ash Johnston of Burnley CID said: "This happened at a time of night when people will have been in the area on nights out, so we'd appeal to anyone who saw this incident to contact police.

"This is a brutal attack, and incidents of this nature will not be tolerated.

"During that time there were pockets of disorder in the Rawtenstall area. We believe that this is unrelated, and we’re focusing on this assault as an isolated incident."

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police by calling 01282472205, quoting log number 0078 of August 31.

If no one answers, call 101.