A MAN in his 20s suffered "potentially fatal" head injuries after a suspected assault.

The victim, who required emergency surgery for a bleed to the brain, was seen staggering along Stanley Road in Whitefield on May 15, where he collapsed at around 4.40pm.

Minutes earlier he had left a house in nearby Whalley Road, which he then managed to return to helped by a passer by.

He complained of chest pains and had a mark on his head and was rushed to hospital by ambulance.

There his condition deteriorated and doctors performed emergency surgery for a bleed on his brain.

The man has since returned home from hospital and is recovering from his injuries.

However he has no recollection of how he was injured, police say.

An investigation has been opened to determine whether the man was assaulted before he collapsed, and officers are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.

Detective Superintendent Howard Millington of Greater Manchester Police’s Bury District said: “This young man suffered a potentially fatal injury and we’re determined to find out what happened to him.

“He has been unable to recall the events that saw him end up in hospital, but one theory we are exploring is that he was assaulted during the short period of time he was out of the house.

“He was on foot when he left and when he returned to the property. While this doesn’t preclude him being transported elsewhere, we believe that any assault would likely have happened within a short distance of Whalley Road, Whitefield.

“We appreciate that this is a fairly unusual incident, with a limited amount of information available to us at this time.

“We are following a number of lines of enquiry and are now appealing for the public’s help. Did you see anything suspicious or that looked out of place in the area?

“If you have any information or footage that can assist us, please get in touch.”

Anyone with any information can call police on 0161 856 8045, quoting incident number 2114 of 15/05/19, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.