COPS are renewing their appeal for witnesses after reviewing CCTV of an assault in Harlow which was filmed by his young attackers on their mobile telephones.

The assault happened at the back of the library off Tilegate Road in the Bush Fair area of the town at 9:30pm on Thursday, July 4. A man had been walking along grassland when he was approached by a group of seven people, three of whom punched and kicked him unconscious before then filming him on their mobile telephones.

Investigating Officer, Dc Ryan Burgess, said: “We have now looked through the CCTV evidence which clearly illustrates the extent of this quite violent attack. There were six young men and one woman in this crowd, but only three of the boys actually took part in the physical assault. The remain three boys, of whom was on a bicycle, and the woman were bystanders. Given that that is good-quality CCTV, I’m now looking for those bystanders to contact us as witnesses otherwise we will have to go to their homes and arrest them.”

The assailants are all white, aged in their mid-teens through to their early 20s and were wearing grey tracksuits.

The 49-year-old local man continues to recover from his fractured eye socket and other severe facial injuries and is in a stable condition in hospital.

Anyone with information in connection with this assault is urged to contact detectives at Harlow police station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.