NSW man charged with attempted murder

A Maitland man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly assaulting a woman with a hammer and metal bar.

Police allege the 23-year-old man struck his 38-year-old ex-partner at a home in Catherine Street, Maitland on Tuesday afternoon.

The woman is being treated at John Hunter Hospital for serious head injuries.

The man was refused bail and will appear at Maitland Local Court on Wednesday.