A WITNESS has revealed their terror at seeing balaclava-clad people in cars wielding chainsaws just before an assault which police revealed was "targeted".

West Yorkshire Police was called to a report of an injured male in the woodland off Scholebrook Lane, between Holme Wood and Fulneck, on Monday afternoon.

Officers arrived at around 3.38pm to find a man in his twenties with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

One witness - who wished to remain anonymous - described their horror at seeing two cars racing in the woods before the serious assault.

They said: "They were scaring horses and nearly taking out entire families.

"They drove into trees at speed, it was horrendous.

"They all had balaclavas on and were threatening the public with hammers, I rang the police."

The witness even said the suspects were wielding chainsaws and that they were "after" a biker who was riding round the woods too.

One lady was threatened after she shouted at one of the drivers because he nearly ran over her little boy on his bike, according to the witness.

They added: "Someone up there was kind to us on Monday.

"The path we usually take and would have been on at that time was the one the car came down at 100mph.

"It was like an out-of-body experience - you stand at witness but it doesn't sink in.

"It scared me more so later on once I'd found out what they'd done to the biker, who was equally as dangerous."

The man who was injured was taken to hospital.

The Air Ambulance landed at the scene, but police have not released details as to whether the man was airlifted to hospital in the helicopter.

Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) said police had contacted him about the crime and are "confident" on who the perpetrator might be.

He added: “It is shocking and I understand that the police do have an individual in mind.

“I am led to believe that the vehicle the injured man was in was rammed.

“The police are confident that they have a good lead in this enquiry.”

A red Mitsubishi Shogun was recovered at the scene, but police would like to speak to anyone who saw the vehicle (which had the registration: N48 DAG) in the lead up to the attack or what happened.

The suspects are believed to have been driving in the red Shogun, and they are thought to have been racing another red vehicle around Black Carr Woods, in Pudsey.

This was shortly before the assault.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Farrell, of Bradford District Police, said: "Following further enquiries I am now satisfied this was a targeted attack with no wider threat to the community.

"We believe people will have seen the Shogun driving around Holme Wood in the time leading up to the incident and I would urge anyone with information about it to contact the police."

Gary O'Leary-Steele witnessed the aftermath of the assault and managed to grab some photos from a distance using a children's telescope.

He said: "An air ambulance was onsite for a while, perhaps an hour or more.

"Based on where it was, I assumed a horse-riding accident, however the police helicopter being there so long suggested it might be something more sinister."

Two other councillors for the Tong ward - Councillor Michael Johnson (Lab, Tong) and Councillor Kausar Mukhtar (Labour, Tong) - reiterated the police's message for people to come forward and assist the investigation.

Cllr Johnson added: “It’s a shocking incident and I would urge residents if they have any information to give it to the police.”

Anyone with information can call 101 or use the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website.

You should quote log reference number: 1159 of Monday, April 27.

Information can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on: 0800 555 111.