Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was found lying semi-conscious in a street.
The 30-year-old, wearing a yellow fluorescent jacket, was found by police in Bell Farm Road, Uckfield.
The injured man, who is thought to be local, was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.
Insp Andy Kille said he was in a stable condition but likely to remain in the hospital at least for the weekend.
It is not known how the man was injured but police are anxious to trace three men and a woman who bought flowers from the nearby Tesco supermarket just after midnight. They told staff they had seen an assault.
The incident took place on Friday at around 11.30pm and anyone with any information is asked to contact Haywards Heath CID on 0845 6070999.
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