GTA 5 Fan Stabbed and Robbed of Game in Colindale, North London

A Grand Theft Auto fan was stabbed, beaten with a brick and robbed as he walked home after purchasing the latest instalment of the game.

The 23-year-old man was attacked and robbed of his copy of GTA 5 after he had purchased the game from an Asda supermarket in north west London which had opened at midnight for the highly anticipated release.

Police say he was attacked by multiple suspects but say it is unclear how many precisely at this time. He was taken to a north London hospital where he is in currently in a stable condition.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We were called at 1.20am to Princes Avenue, Colindale. A 23-year-old man was shopping, then on his way back home he was hit with a brick and stabbed.

"He was robbed of items he had bought from a nearby Asda supermarket, including a copy of Grand Theft Auto."

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to contact Crimestoppers with any information on the attack.

GTA 5 is the most anticipated game release of the year, with many stores choosing to open at midnight for eager fans wanting to purchase the game straight away.

Costing an estimated £170m ($265m) to develop, the game is expected to expected to sell 25 million copies by the end of December, generating more than £1bn it its first year of release.

Despite the controversy surrounding the violent video game franchise, the latest title in the series has been met with almost universal rave reviews.