Man beaten with hammer as he lay in bed in ‘racist attack’

‘This was a vicious attack on a defenceless man in his own home,’ police say

The attackers forced entry into the man's upstairs flat in Dungiven, Northern Ireland (Google Maps)

A man has been beaten with a hammer and other weapons by three assailants as he lay in bed in Dungiven, Northern Ireland, in what police are treating as a racially motivated hate crime.

The attackers forced entry into the man’s upstairs flat and hit him around the head, body and legs, shortly before midnight on Thursday.

He was taken to hospital where he received medical treatment.

“This was vicious attack on a defenceless man in his own home,” Detective Inspector Peter McKenna said.

Police said the attackers were ”described as white males in their mid-20s with local accents and all three had their faces covered with scarves”.

Det Insp McKenna said: “The occupant was struck around the head, body and legs a number of times and required hospital treatment following the attack for his injuries.

“He remains in hospital this morning,” he said on Friday.

He added: “We are treating the incident at this time as a racially motivated hate crime.”

Police appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.