A man in his late 50s needed plastic surgery to his eye after a gang of as many as ten youths launched a vicious unprovoked attack on him and his partner.

Police are treating the attack, which occurred in Maldon Road, Witham, on Sunday at about 8.45pm, as grievous bodily harm.

The man, who also lives in Maldon Road and did not want to be named, confronted a number of youths, who had climbed onto the canopy in the back yard of nearby Cross Purposes Group, a combined physio clinic, personal training gym and dance studio.

After shouting at the youths to get down, the man was savagely clawed at, causing severe damage to his lower eyelid. His partner also received scratches to her face.

See this week's Witham Times for the full story.