AN ATTACK in Southall that left a young man fighting for his life may have been gang-related, residents say.

It is believed the 22-year-old man was leaving his house in Navigator Way on the Windmill Estate with a friend when they were attacked by a gang of between 10 and 20 youths.

His friend managed to escape and call for help, but the young Somali man was stabbed, with residents suggesting he was wounded in the head.

A trail of blood leading from Navigator Drive to a bus stop in Uxbridge Road, just yards from the entrance to Ealing Hospital, is believed to mark the route he used while trying to escape his attackers.

The victim is in a critical but stable condition.

Police sealed off a large area of the estate after the attack on Monday, while forensics teams searched for clues to help them track down the attackers.

Residents believe the attack was gang-related, claiming a local gang had come on to the estate looking to cause trouble.

Both officers and acquaintances of the victim, who has lived in the UK since 1990, say he was not involved with any gangs or crime.

A neighbour of the victim's, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "He was always smartly dressed and was not involved in anything like that himself.

"There is a group who hang out on this estate but they're not really a gang, more a community.

"The police arrested three of my friends, but they were just trying to chase the attackers off the estate.

"The friend who was with him told me it was not those three who were chasing them, as he would have been able to recognise them.

"We would not do this to one of our own."

The three men, arrested by police on Monday night, have now been released without charge.

Detective Chief Inspector Julian Worker, the policeman in charge of crime in Ealing, said the best way of stopping this happening again was to catch the people responsible.

He said: "On Monday night a young man was left in a serious state and we do not know what the cause of that was.

"What i am looking for is members of the public to come forward and help us with our investigation.

"Some information people might think is obvious but the police may not actually have it, and it could be vital to the investigation.

"We have increased the number of patrols in the area to try and reassure local residents."

He said he could not rule out the victim was attacked by a gang, but stressed the attack may have nothing to do with such groups.

He said: "We are keeping an open mind at this stage."

Anyone with information can contact the incident room at Hendon on 0208 358 0200, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.