One male has been referred to Youth Aid over an assault that caused life-threatening head injuries in Whangārei on Sunday.

Police said on Sunday a group of men were involved in the assault on a 36-year-old, which happened on Water St around 2.45am.

Police executed a search warrant yesterday and located the male, who was “spoken to in relation to the incident”, a police spokesperson said.

The victim remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

“Our thoughts are with our friends and family at this time,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier this week, police set up an online portal so members of the public could upload any photos and videos of the assault.

Today, police thanked the public for information they provided which helped resolve the case.

- Angela Woods