TWO men have been charged with assault after a 22-year-old man was found unconscious in Bacup after being hit over the head with a dumbbell.

Police and ambulance crews were called to Alma Street in the town shortly after 7.30am on Saturday after neighbours witnessed Mark Evans and his brother Paul, 24 being attacked with a dumbbell and a screwdriver.

The attack happened after the two brothers woke up to discover two TVs, a SatNav and a car stereo had been stolen from their home in Acre Mill Road shortly after 1am, police said.

The men ran out in to nearby Cutler Crescent looking for the thieves before tackling two men walking down the street.

Police said the conversation quickly turned to an argument and one of the brothers was hit in the face with brick.

After returning home, police said the brothers decided to go out again to look for their property and ask if anyone had seen anything suspicious.

During this search they bumped into the same man, who was now armed with a dumbbell, in Alma Street.

Both brothers were hit around the head with the weight and Mark was knocked unconscious, police said.

As the incident escalated, another man joined in with a screwdriver and began attacking Mark as he lay unconscious in the street.

The brothers were taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital where they was treated for lacerations before being discharged.

Det Sgt Mark Gillibrand, of Rossendale CID said: “To an onlooker this would have been a terribly frightening incident to witness.

"It is very fortunate that neither of the parties have received any real life threatening injuries.”

Two men are due to appear at Burnley Magistrates Court today charged with two counts of Actual Bodily Harm and possession of a offensive weapon.

One of the men has also been charged with cannabis possession.

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