Police are appealing for witnesses following the unprovoked attack on a man in Colchester town centre.

The man in his 40s was struck from behind in High Street at around 11.30pm.

He was in the vicinity of the Red Lion Hotel when he was knocked to the ground. When he got up his attacker was gone. The man suffered bruising and swelling to his face.

Police believe there would still have been a lot of people in the area at the time of the incident – which happened on September 11 – and urge anyone who saw anything to contact police at Colchester on 101.