POLICE who studied closed circuit footage of an attack which left a man critically injured in hospital are urgently trying to trace two blonde women who tried to help the victim.

The 32-year-old man, from Thornaby, Teesside, was punched to the ground in a nightclub attack in front of dozens of people.

He was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital after the attack at 2.10am yesterday, during a confrontation outside Toxins nightclub, in Middlesbrough.

Two youths, both aged 18 and from Middlesbrough, were arrested and questioned by police. A third man is being hunted. Detective Sergeant Paul Templeman said: "CCTV foot-age of the area is being examined.

"We know there was a large crowd outside the club in Linthorpe Road when this attack took place. We would urge anyone who saw the incident to contact us immediately."

One of the women who tried to help the victim said she was a nurse. She wore a dark red leather coat and gave first aid to the injured man.

The second woman wore a zebra-patterened three-quarter length coat.

Anyone with information is asked to ring Det Sgt Templeman on (01642) 303126.