POLICE want to speak to two men to help with a murder investigation after the death of a man who was attacked in the street.

The 50-year-old man, named locally as Steven Pye, was initially taken to Royal Preston Hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday after being assaulted in Venables Avenue, Colne.

Police yesterday said Mr Pye had died of his injuries on Wednesday.

Detectives said he had been found unconscious following reports of a number of men fighting at 11.20am.

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The police are asking for people with CCTV to come forward to help with their investigation.

They are also looking to speak to a passer-by with a white t-shirt on Venables Avenue who was captured on CCTV near the time of the attack.

The police also want to speak to the owner of a red estate car which drove down Venables Avenue, Allendale Street and Fern Street.

Three men aged 25, 41 and 64 from Colne and one man aged 40 from Nelson were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The 25-year-old man from Colne has subsequently been released without charge.

However, the three who remain in custody were last night being questioned on suspicion of murder.

At the time of the incident, a 100-yard section of Venables Avenue was cordoned off by police, with officers guarding both sections.

Three police cars, two vans, an ambulance and a first response car attended the incident.

The victim was taken to hospital with serious head injuries. It is understood he received a number of blows.

Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Hurst, who is leading the investigation, said: “Firstly I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased at this time. Our thoughts are with them.

“Our investigation into what happened to the victim in the lead up to his death is still on-going and we are continuing our enquiries to try and establish the sequence of events.

“If you have any information that could assist us with our enquiries, I would urge you to speak to us as soon as possible.

“While we have made a number of arrests, we’re keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident.

“We are particularly keen to speak to a dog walker who we believe was in Venables Avenue around the time of the assault. If this was you, please contact us.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting log number 0530 of Tuesday, July 18.