Two men, aged 22 and 25, were beaten in a Waitrose car park on August 8 in the town of Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, while attackers verbally assaulted the pair with homophobic slurs. According to Herts Live, the victims were waiting for a lift home at around 2.20am when they were approached by a gang of 10 teens aged 16-17.
The gang knocked one of the men unconscious, causing facial fractures, while the other victim suffered a split eyebrow and bruising to the face. The gang then fled the scene and the victims were taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital where their injuries were treated. Speaking to The Sun, local inspector Gary Bangs described the attack as “unprovoked” and “despicable”.
He continued: “They are being supported by specially trained hate crime officers at what is understandably a very difficult time. Any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, could greatly assist our enquiries…Hate crime can have a devastating impact on victims and the wider community as a whole and will simply not be tolerated.”
