A man was this week fighting for his life in hospital after being savagely beaten on a railway platform.

British Transport Police are urgently seeking witnesses to the attack at Cononley station, at 8pm, on Sunday.

The 32-year-old -- from Bradford -- was taken to Leeds General Infirmary after the attack and his condition was later described as critical.

Several men and women were known to have been involved in a fracas on the Skipton-bound platform, a police spokesman said.

The victim suffered serious head injuries.

North Yorkshire Police officers attended the incident but the investigation is now being conducted by the British Transport Police.

Three men aged 23, 22, 20 and a youth of 17 were arrested and released on police bail.

A fifth person was also later arrested in connection with the incident.

Det Chief Insp Michael Field, of the British Transport Police, said: "We are very concerned about this young victim, not just as to why he was in Cononley but how he's received these particularly nasty injuries.

"I'd like to make a personal appeal to the people of Cononley, which appears to be a fairly close-knit community, to assist the police and establish what's occurred."

He said the fracas might have followed an incident at the nearby Railway pub, 100 yards away from the station. During the assault a train passed through the station, Det Chief Insp Field said, and the level crossing barriers were in place. At least three cars were held up at the crossing and the occupants might have seen something, he said.

Police are particularly keen to hear from several people who were held up at the crossing -- a woman with a pram, the occupants of a blue car which was the first in line in the Cononley-bound traffic queue, and the occupants of two cars which headed the queue in the opposite direction.

Officers are also keen to trace three men who caught the 8.40pm Skipton train from Cononley and may have information about the incident.

l British Transport Police are also appealing for witnesses after another man was seriously hurt in a separate assault at Keighley Railway Station on Saturday night.

The 33-year-old man, who was in a comfortable condition at Leeds General Infirmary, suffered serious head and face injuries after he was attacked getting off the 10.44pm Bradford to Skipton train.

Police say the attack happened at about 11.10pm on the platform as other passengers were also getting off. The train had just picked up a large number of people from Bingley's Party in the Park event.

Anyone with information on these attacks is asked to call 0800 405040 or 01423 539752.