Three men were stabbed in a gang fight outside a Southend nightclub - and their car was later set light at Basildon Hospital.
The men suffered serious knife wounds in the punch-up outside Zinc nightclub in Lucy Road and were rushed to the hospital by their friends.
After taking the bloodstained victims inside, the friends returned to their Mitsubishi people carrier parked near the main entrance.
Gang members had followed them to the hospital and were laying in wait. They jumped out of their cars and attacked the vehicle.
The gang, in their twenties, began smashing up the vehicle. Five of the six occupants managed to escape but left a woman trapped inside.
A man then slid open the door of the Mitsubishi and began pouring petrol inside and set it on fire. The woman managed to escape seconds before a fireball engulfed the vehicle.One stab victim needed a life-saving operation for a wound to his lung.
The other two suffered less serious wounds to the chest, waist, back and legs and discharged themselves from hospital yesterday.
Det Insp John Kreyling said: "As yet we've not been able to establish a motive for the attack." Call Southend police on 01702 431212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Published Monday January 26, 2004
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