Appeal to identify witness after racially aggravated assault in Bridgwater

We are issuing an image of a potential witness we would like to speak to in connection with a report of a racially aggravated assault in Bridgwater.

The victim, a man in his early 20s, was walking to work when it was reported he was attacked and racially abused by two other men at around 8.35pm on Eastover on Friday 12 September.

The victim suffered facial injuries during the incident and was taken to hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged to continue his recovery at home, and is being supported by officers and given access to any specialist help he needs.

Two men, aged 20 and 28, were arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm and racially aggravated public order later the same day. They have both since been released on conditional bail and must not enter the Eastover area.

We are now appealing to the man in the image to contact us as we believe he may have witnessed the incident and have information which could assist our enquiries.

PC Hannah Bird, officer in the case, said: “This is a horrible incident which has caused great distress to the victim, who we are supporting, but the incident is now under investigation, and we have lines of enquiry to follow.

“We are considering this a hate crime, and there is no such place for hate. We know there were several people in the area at the time of the assault and would specifically like to ask the man in the image, or anybody who knows him, or who may have witnessed the incident themselves, to contact us.”

House-to-house and CCTV enquiries have been carried out and any other people who witnessed the incident, or who may have doorbell or dashcam footage from around the time of the incident, are asked to contact us on 101, quoting 5225257989.