Bloodbath

The landlady described the scene as a 'bloodbath'.

The gang of up to 10 men, wearing balaclavas and hoods, slashed out indiscriminately at people drinking at The Grapes in Market Street, Stoneclough, on Saturday night.

The gang also set off CS gas during the horrific, unprovoked attack.

One man was seriously injured and 10 others were hurt.

Five men were taken to hospital and treated for slash wounds, and a woman also suffered a broken arm.

The badly-injured man was due to undergo surgery yesterday after an artery was severed in his shoulder.

There were around 30 people in the pub at 10pm when the gang pulled up outside in cars.

They are believed to have been in a red Ford Escort and black VW Golf.

Two members of staff frantically tried to close the door to stop them getting in but they were overpowered and the gang started attacking the drinkers.

A barmaid called the police as the fighting broke out. Minutes later, the gang fled.

The injured were taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The attack is believed to have been linked to a fight in another pub the night before.

The gang were thought to have been looking for the people involved in the earlier incident.

Minutes before the attack in the Grapes, they had burst into the Hare and Hounds in Market Street and left when they could not find who they were looking for.

It is not clear why they decided to attack the customers in the second pub.

Sara Brown, landlady at the Grapes, who has been left shaken by the attack, said: "It is a case of mistaken identity.

"We had nothing to do with the fight on Friday night. The gang were obviously looking for those who were involved, but they werent in here.

"It was like a bloodbath. There was blood everywhere, even in the ladies toilets. We are a family pub and have not had any trouble like this before. They just attacked anyone in their way."

Detectives are checking CCTV footage in the area in an effort to trace the gang's cars.

Det Insp Paul Hitchen, of Bolton CID, said: "The reason for the attack is unclear at the moment.

"Customers were just having a drink when the next thing they knew, a gang of between six to 10 men ran in, attacked them and ran back out.

"The assaults were indiscriminate. There is nothing to suggest that the customers were linked to each other or to the previous incident the night before.

"The gang just attacked randomly and then left.

"Cars were heard speeding away from the scene and we would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or anyone acting suspiciously before the attack to come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to call Bolton CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.