DETECTIVES today (FRIDAY) issued details of a man they want to trace after two men were gunned down outside a Bolton nightclub.

Last night one of the gun shot victims, a 27-year-old Bolton man, was recovering following five hours of surgery at the Royal Bolton Hospital after being blasted in the stomach at least five times.

A 19-year-old Bolton teenager suffered hand wounds when up to three bullets struck him.

Police officers have still not been able to speak to the two casualties about the horror shooting outside the Atlantis nightclub, on Eagley Brook Way, Astley Bridge, at 2.30am yesterday.

But last night Det Supt Mick Gorrill, head of Bolton CID and who is spearheading the hunt for the gunman, revealed there was no apparent motive for the attack at the moment.

He added: "This was an extremely serious incident which must have been very frightening for those people who saw it. There could quite easily have been a murder."

Yesterday detectives spent the day at the hospital in case the two victims were well enough to talk to officers, but neither man had been placed under police guard.

Hundreds of people were leaving the 2,500 capacity club when the gunman struck, with one witness claiming the shots had been fired indiscriminately.

Bouncers gave first aid treatment to the two men as armed police and paramedics headed to the scene which was cordoned off and searched by scene of crimes officers.

Today police chiefs issued details of a white man, in his late 20s, between 6ft and 6ft 4ins tall and with dark hair who they want to speak to in connection with the incident. He was wearing a grey fleece type coat and plain black trousers.

Another man, who police arrested near the nightclub in the early hours of Friday, was questioned by detectives at Astley Bridge police station yesterday.

Anyone who was at the nightclub and witnessed the shootings is asked to contact Astley Bridge CID on 0161 856 5740 or 5751.