A number of people were  injured - one seriously - when a hand grenade was thrown at them outside a Christiania café

A young man had part of his jaw blown off in an indiscriminate attack last night in the Christiania area of Copenhagen.

The 22-year-old and four friends were sitting at a picnic table outside Café Nemoland when a hand grenade landed near them shortly after midnight.

The man’s face was badly injured when he was hit by  shrapnel, but his condition was described as stable last night.

Three of his companions received less severe injuries to their backs and legs, while one escaped injury in the attack. The three have been discharged from hospital.

Henrik Vedel from the Copenhagen Police called it an ‘unscrupulous attack, where the perpetrator had no qualms about who was hit’. Vedel said the hand grenade had been thrown from a darkened area behind the restaurant, but so far police have found no trace of the attacker.

No motive has yet been established for the attack and police said none of the five people at the table were previously known to authorities. They have appealed for witnesses to the attack to come forward with any information.