A man was slashed during an attempted murder in woods.

The attack happened near Holly Grove in Livingston shortly after 4pm on Monday.

A 27-year-old man suffered serious injuries to his head, neck and hand. It is believed a weapon was involved.

He was then taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Police have now linked the attack to an earlier incident involving three men in Kingfisher Brae, Ladywell, at around 11.45am.

Detective sergeant Andrew McGhee said: "We believe that this was a targeted attack and I want to reassure the public that a thorough investigation is currently underway.

"As part of our enquiries into this incident, which we're treating as attempted murder, we're urging anyone who may have information of relevance to come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101.