DETECTIVES also issued an appeal for an anonymous caller who first alerted police to the Tabley violence.

Police played a recording of the man's voice at Tuesday's Press conference, where he describes a man being 'beaten up' by three others in a courtyard at Burnt House Farm.

Det Insp Paul Rumney said: "We need to establish who made the 999 call and whether he was a Good Samaritan or someone involved in the attack whose conscience got the better of him."

It is known the call was made on Plumley Moor Road.

The caller says he had just pulled off the M6 at junction 19 but he declined to leave his name.