A MAN suffered serious injuries after he was assaulted in a suspected acid attack in Hampshire.

Fire crews and police were called to the scene of the assault in Lee-on-the-Solent in the early hours of yesterday morning. 

The victim, a 47-year-old man, was approached by two men on the High Street as he was leaving for work at around 4am, during the assault an unknown liquid was thrown in his face.

He suffered serious but not life threatening injuries to his face and was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue say they dealt ‘hazardous material’ incident in the High Street.

One fire engine and a specialist vehicle, both from Winchester Fire Station were called out.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said yesterday: “Officers were called just before 4.15am this morning to a report that a 47 year-old man had been assaulted on the High Street in Lee-on-the-Solent.

“He has been taken to hospital for treatment and enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of what has happened.”

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 4.08am we sent one ambulance and took an adult male to Queen Alexandra Hospital.

“He had serious but not life threatening injuries.”

Police have launched an investigation and are appealing for information to see if anyone saw the two men who approached the victim.

The first man is described as tanned, around 5ft 7 tall, of medium build with dark hair and aged in his early twenties. He was wearing a blue or black tracksuit with a QPR (Queens Park Rangers) emblem on the left shoulder and white trainers and had a ring on his wedding finger.

The second man is described as white, 5 ft 6 ins tall, skinny, aged in his late teens, with a beard around his jaw line. He was wearing blue jeans, a blue and white striped top under a black bomber jacket.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary added: "An investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances of what has happened and specialist resources from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were deployed as a precaution to enable officers to identify the nature of the liquid that the victim described.

"This substance does not present a wider risk to the local community."

Anyone with information about the attack should call DS David West at Fratton Police Station on 101, quoting 44160165297, or call Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.