POLICE are hunting three masked men who used weapons to attack a man on a petrol station forecourt.

The 24-year-old victim remains in hospital with serious cuts to his hand, after the incident at Sainsbury's on Harrogate Road, Greengates, on Friday afternoon.

The attackers are described as three Asian men wearing face coverings.

There have been reports that the attackers used blades - possibly even a machete - in the assault.

The suspects fled the scene shortly afterwards.

A police spokesman said they believed it had been a targeted attack.

He confirmed weapons had been used, but said they couldn't yet say what these were.

The spokesman said the victim remained in hospital with a "serious injury" to his hand, as well as cuts to his head, back and legs.

As a precaution, police are not revealing which hospital the victim was taken to.

Detectives are now urging witnesses or anyone else with information to come forward, by calling Bradford CID on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Officers were called to the scene just before 5pm on Friday.

A witness said the station was surrounded by police tape, with all entrances and exits closed off and an ambulance there, when she drove by on her way home from work at around 6pm that day.

"The whole forecourt was cordoned off. There were a couple of police vans and bobbies on the beat and some officers from CID. It sounds like it was a nasty attack," she said.

Another driver added: "There was a dark car on the forecourt, possibly a Skoda."