A British man is in a critical condition after being bludgeoned on the slopes by a snowboarder wielding a ski pole.

The unnamed 55-year-old was attacked just as the piste was closing on the Zillertal Arena in Rohrberg in Austria.

It is thought a row erupted when the snowboarder, who may have been in a rush to catch the last lift at the end of the day, almost collided with a group of skiers including the Brit.

Unhappy about the near miss, he tried to challenge the boarder and the confrontation quickly turned violent, according to local media.

Snowboarders typically travel without ski poles, but it appears the snowboarder snatched one from someone else in the group and hit the skier over the head several times.

Because he wasn’t wearing a crash helmet, he suffered severe injuries and had to be airlifted to the hospital in nearby Schwaz.

The snowboarder reportedly fled from the group after the British man collapsed.

Police have now appealed for witnesses who might be able to help identify the snowboarder, who is said to have been wearing a grey or anthracite coloured jacket and helmet at the time.

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