Man left with broken eye socket after homophobic attack by three men outside Bristol bar

A man who was enjoying a night out with his partner in Bristol has been left with a broken eye socket following a homophobic attack.

The victim, who was in his 20s, was assaulted outside the Seamus O'Donnell's bar in St Nicholas Street at around 2am on Saturday 20 January.

He was attacked by three men and punched in the face.

Seamus O'Donnell's is an Irish pub known for its welcoming LGBTQ+ environment.

Avon and Somerset Police say they are treating the incident as a hate crime.

"This is a very concerning incident, and I want to reassure everyone affected that we’ll investigate fully," Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said.

“The victim was simply enjoying a night out with his partner when he was attacked by three men.

“This is completely unacceptable and we will not tolerate it."

He added: “We’re carrying out numerous enquiries, including speaking with witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage from around the area, to identify those responsible and ensure they’re brought to justice for their actions."

The force has issued the following descriptions of three people they want to identify:

• Suspect one is white, approximately 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins tall, bald with short, brown facial hair. He was wearing a blue buttoned-up jacket, blue jeans and white trainers.

• Suspect two is white, approximately 5ft 9ins tall, with strawberry-blonde hair with a long fringe. He was wearing white trainers, black jeans, a black puffer coat and a white T-shirt.

• Suspect three is white, around 5ft 9ins, with strawberry-blonde hair. He was wearing white trainers, beige chinos, a black zip top with a white T-shirt.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact police.