THIEVES shot a man in the leg in a pub car park in Stretford leaving him in a "serious" condition in hospital.

Greater Manchester Police have appealed for any information on the incident, after they were called out at around 1.30am this morning.

Two man, armed with a gun, approached the man as he walked across the Gorse Hill Pub car park, in Chester Road, and hit him over the head, knocking him to the floor.

They then stole a watch and a necklace from the victim before shooting him in the leg before fleeing the scene with the stolen jewellery in the direction of Gorse Street.

Ambulance services took the victim, a 38-year-old man, to hospital where police say he is in a "serious but stable condition".

Detective inspector Julia Bowden, of GMP’s Trafford borough, said: “It is horrendous that a man who had been enjoying his evening has been left in hospital with a serious injury and I understand that people will be concerned about this attack.

“I want to assure you that we are doing all we can to find the men responsible - we have launched a full investigation and are currently following several lines of enquiry.

“You will see increased patrols in the area and they are there to help you in any way they can, so please approach them with any concerns or queries you may have.

“I appreciate it will have been quite quiet at that time of night, but if you were in the area and saw anything suspicious, or have any information that could assist our investigation, then please get in touch.”

Officers are currently maintaining a crime scene in the area while the investigation continues.

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 7655 or 101, quoting incident number 228 of 20/05/2018, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.