A vicious assault at a St Albans nightclub has left a young man with a broken nose and permanent sight loss after he was knocked unconscious onto the dance floor.

Oliver Wedd, 24, of Harpenden, was enjoying a night out with a group of friends at Club Batchwood last Friday to farewell two mates leaving the country on an around-the-world trip.

But at about 3am on Saturday he had to be rushed by ambulance to Watford Hospital and then on to Moorfields Eye Hospital for treatment after being struck from behind by a fellow club-goer.

Herts Police are still seeking the man who attacked Oliver, who works for a company that provides scooters to the disabled.

With Oliver this week facing trips to the dentist to repair broken teeth along with follow-up appointments to Moorfields his outraged father, Ian, has contacted the Herts Advertiser to help track down his son’s assailant.

He said: “This kind of incident is totally unacceptable, especially in a nightclub where young people are set on having fun with their friends.”

Ian said he understood that there had been some sort of confrontation between two groups of people on the dance floor.

But when his son went to intervene by turning and leading a friend away, a man from the other group suddenly came from behind and “whacked him on the side of his face and knocked him out cold.

“Oliver wasn’t preparing for a fight and didn’t see the man coming. He was knocked on his right side, which caused him to fall onto the floor. It was the cheapest of cowardly shots.”

The assault occurred at about 2.45am.

After paramedics and the police had been called to the scene and Oliver had regained consciousness, Ian received a distraught phone call from his son who was “in tears”.

An X-ray at Watford showed Oliver’s nose was broken, and he was referred to Moorfields for his swollen right eye.

A consultant there said he had suffered permanent damage and there was a small hole in the retina.

Oliver may have to have surgery on his eye, but doctors are unable to do anything until the swelling subsides.

Peter Bell, general manager of the club, said it was “totally unacceptable” that the assault had occurred.

He added: “It is a terrible incident and we won’t tolerate it.”

Peter has given the police CCTV images of the assault, which are being examined.

Anyone with information is asked to phone the police on non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.