AN 18-year old Malvern man was found with fractures to his spine and skull after a night of drinking in the town centre.

The man left Priors Croft bar, Grange Road, and was put into a taxi by friends, some time between midnight and 2am on Saturday morning (March 29).

He was found later the same morning, at around 7.15am, in the grounds of Hardwicke House, a block of flats in Abbey Road, with severe injuries.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, where he is being treated for fractures to his skull and spine.

Police said he was in a "very drunk state" when he left the bar, and has no memory of what happened to him.

Officers have no idea how he got to Abbey Road, and are very keen to trace the taxi driver who collected him. The driver is described as an Asian male possibly driving a Vauxhall.

When he was picked up by the taxi, the man was wearing a blue jumper, white t-shirt, blue jeans and grey trainers.

Detective Sergeant Pete Sherwood said: “A range of things may have happened: he could have had a fall or been hit by a vehicle, or he might have been assaulted.

“I am very keen to trace the taxi driver, who may hold the key to what happened. I would like to ask any drivers who collected a very drunk young man from Priors Croft on Friday night–Saturday morning to contact us.

“If anyone saw an inebriated man in the Abbey Road area, please get in touch.

“We are also trying to trace a man called Kurt who was outside Priors Croft and allowed one of the man’s friends to borrow his mobile phone to call the taxi. He may have useful information.”

DS Sherwood can be contacted on 101 or information can be passed on through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, quoting reference number 136s/290314.