It was reported three men had been riding on their bike when a man holding an axe approached him, hitting him in the head, shoulder and back in an unprovoked attack.
The offender then ran away from the scene.
The victim suffered a cut to his head and body and was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment. It isn’t thought his injuries are life altering.
Detective Sergeant David Prest is leading the investigation. He said: “This must have been an incredibly scary and traumatic experience and we are keen to get to the bottom of this incident as quickly as possible.
“We were quickly on the scene and had police dogs searching and the force’s drone up in the air last night to help with the investigation, but we couldn’t find anyone which matched the description.
“The offender has been described as white, in 40s or 50s, wearing a red top and black shorts.
“We are appealing to anyone who may have any information or saw anything suspicious in the Bestwood Lodge Drive area at around 8.40pm. If you can help please us on 101, quoting incident number 856 of 29 May 2020.
“We have officers on patrol in the area this morning and will continue to do so throughout the weekend, talking to local residents and offering reassurance.”
