Police are investigating a brutal attack in Newcastle where a man was doused in an accelerant and set alight.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on King Street just after 3.20am this morning to reports a man had been assaulted and suffered serious burns after being lit on fire.
It was the 23-year-old victim himself who raised the alarm after staggering into the nearby McDonalds to plead for help.
He was taken to the John Hunter and later transferred to the specialist burns unit at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
Police established a crime scene, closing sections of King, National Park and Steel Streets to gather evidence.
As inquiries continue, officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage taken in the area at the time to come forward.