FOUR men and a woman have been released by police following an incident in Wotton-under-Edge in which a man was believed to have been pushed out of a van.

Police officers were called by paramedics to Wotton-under-Edge High Street last Saturday just after 9.25pm, as they treated a 41-year-old man from Bristol for life-threatening injuries.

Gloucestershire Police are investigating whether or not the injured man was pushed out of a van.

The man was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where his condition was still described as critical by staff yesterday.

Two men, aged 24 and 27, both from Bristol, were arrested on suspicion of causing GBH shortly after the incident. An 18-year-old man, also from Bristol, was arrested on Sunday.

The men were then released on bail until November 10 pending further police inquiries.

Yesterday (17), however, police revealed that the three men, and another man and woman who were arrested for assisting an offender, had been released from police bail.

Police said the three men in the vehicle initially charged with GBH were in fact trying to help the man reach medical attention.

Wotton-under-Edge Town Council Mayor, Roger Claydon, said incidents such as this were rare in the town.

He said: “Wotton is normally a peaceful environment. Such incidents are extremely rare and this one, I understand, did not involve local people.

“The town council operates a CCTV system in the town and data from this is being used to assist the police with their enquiries.”

The victim's condition remains unchanged as of September 17.

Officers were extremely impressed with the response from the general public to this incident and wish to thank everyone who came forward, in particular those who gave immediate first aid to the injured man.