THE sister of a man left with broken teeth and head injuries after being violently beaten following a Christmas function in St Albans city centre has appealed for help in finding his attackers.

The 28-year-old man, who does not wish to be named, had been celebrating Christmas with colleagues at Club Veeda when he left the premises after 2am last Friday, December 21, with a woman.

His upset sister said that a group of seven men aged between 20 and 25 approached and attacked her brother, who works in a fitness centre and lives in Essex, after a derogatory remark was made about the woman.

She said: “A man came up and pushed my brother and started violently punching him in his face until my brother lost his balance and fell to the floor, where more of the group then joined in and kicked him in his face, head and chest.

“My brother has suffered severe facial and bodily wounds and has lost his front teeth where he was kicked so violently on the ground. He cannot talk and suffered severe concussion.

“These guys showed no mercy.”

The woman thanked a taxi driver who braved the group to stop them hitting her brother further, allowing him to briefly escape along the road.

The woman explained: “The taxi driver ran out and was very brave. We are very grateful as he held the crowd back and told him to run.”

She said that unfortunately her brother, bleeding and suffering double vision from the assault, lost consciousness and was further attacked.

He was taken to Watford Hospital and later released, but had to return to a hospital in Cambridge for a brain scan at the time of going to press.

His sister said: “He is still suffering; he can’t eat, can’t sleep, and has to drink through a straw. His whole face is swollen and he has lost his sense of smell.”

She pleaded: “Someone knows who did this. We need someone to come forward.”

Detectives investigating the assault have appealed for witnesses and anyone with information to contact Herts Police.

A spokeswoman for the service said that between 2.20-2.30am an altercation began between a man and a woman and a group of men in the doorway of Subway on St Peter’s Street.

Passers-by intervened and took him away from the group but the man was then approached by two men, believed to be from the original group, who then further assaulted him.

They were described as white men in their 20s, one of whom was wearing a white short-sleeved top and dark trousers, while the second was wearing a long-sleeved light shirt and dark trousers. Both have short dark hair.

DC Andrew Yuill, from the Local Crime Unit in St Albans, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who saw this incident or who was involved in any way and who has not yet spoken to police.”

Anyone with information should contact police on non-emergency number 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.