A MAN has been arrested in connection with an assault that left the victim in a critical condition in hospital.

The 27-year-old from Hartlepool was identified after Cleveland Police released CCTV footage of the man they wanted to speak to following two assaults in Hartlepool in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The first assault happened just after 4am on Sunday, July 27 near the Grand Hotel in Swainston Street.

In this incident, a 24-year-old man suffered serious facial injuries and received treatment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. He has since been discharged.

A second victim was assaulted at about 4.20am at a bus stop near Yates’ wine Lodge in Victoria Road. The 26-year-old man suffered serious head injuries and remains in a critical condition.

The suspect, who police believe is responsible for both apparently unprovoked assaults, is described as a white male, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He has tattoos on both arms.

The 27-year-old man is in police custody.