A man has been treated in hospital for a broken arm after reportedly being fired at by a gang of men attempting to steal a van in Coniston Close, Verwood.<\/p>\n
The incident happened late on Saturday night and Police are looking for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.<\/p>\n
At around 11.50pm it was reported that a resident in Coniston Crescent was alerted to a group of men in a black SUV type vehicle attempting to tow his van off the driveway.<\/p>\n
The victim went to challenge the men and was struck by a projectile that was believed to have been fired by a catapult, causing a laceration to his cheek. He was also struck by some kind of metal bar or tool and was taken to hospital for treatment to a broken arm.<\/p>\n
It is not believed anything was stolen by the offenders and they left the scene in the black SUV in the direction of Manor Lane.<\/p>\n
The offenders are described as a group of four or five men, wearing dark clothing and gloves with their faces covered.<\/p>\n
Detective Inspector Dave Horn, of Dorset County CID, said: \u201cThis must have been a very distressing incident for the victim, and we are carrying out a full investigation to identify those involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would urge anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area on the night of Saturday 4 March 2023, particularly concerning a black SUV type vehicle, to please contact us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would also urge members of the public in the vicinity to check any home CCTV, doorbell camera or dashcam footage for anything that might assist our enquiries.\u201d<\/p>\n