Vicious beating of elderly man leads to arrest

A 27-year-old man was to appear in Christchurch District Court today charged with the attempted murder of a 73-year-old man on Monday.

Christchurch police announced the arrest in a statement today, and appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.

The "frail and slight" elderly man was attacked as he walked through an alley between Cathedral Square and Hereford St, in central Christchurch, at 3.20pm. He was bashed and stabbed in the face and head during the vicious attack.

While the man's injuries had not been considered life-threatening, they had been serious enough to keep him in hospital, police said.

- NZPA