Man in critical condition after trying to stop '15-person brawl' in Manchester City centre

'Just one punch on a night out has the potential to change people’s lives and a man has been severely injured as a result'

The fight took place outside the Printworks entertainment hub (Alamy)

A man has been left in a critical condition after being punched in Manchester City Centre over the weekend.

Shortly before 2am on Saturday, police responded to reports of fighting outside The Printworks near Dantzic Street and Thornily Brow.

It is believed a large fight of around 15 people took place, but enquiries are still underway.

A man in his fifties tried to intervene and was punched in the face and knocked unconscious. He was taken to hospital with a serious head injury and remains in a critical condition. A second man, who is in his twenties, was also taken to hospital after suffering cuts and bruises, Greater Manchester Police said.

A 25-year-old man arrested near the scene on suspicion of affray and a 32-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender have been released while under investigation.

Detectives are searching through CCTV footage for evidence and are seeking to speak to witnesses of the fight.

Detective inspector Mark Davis, from GMP’s City of Manchester team, said: “This was a large brawl in the city centre at a time when a lot of people would be leaving bars and clubs.

“It might be that you witnessed something but didn’t think to contact police at the time. If so, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.

“Just one punch on a night out has the potential to change people’s lives and a man has been severely injured as a result.

“We also know there were lots of cars in the area and I would urge drivers to check their dash cam footage to see if there’s anything on there that could help us with this investigation.

“We also believe there might be further victims who were injured and again, I would ask you to call us too.”

Anyone with any information should call 101 quoting incident number 190 of 10 February or independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

With additional reporting from PA.