CCTV shows man punched to the ground in city centre attack

'This was a particularly nasty assault'

CCTV footage of the moment a man was punched to the pavement in a city centre attack has been released by police.

The 24-year-old victim can be seen being shoved to the ground by one attacker and then flattened by a blow to the head by another.

The incident occurred as Jonathan, who asked to be identified by his first name only, walked along Silver Street, Durham, at 9pm on Saturday April 2.

He suffered facial injuries, a snapped front tooth and hearing loss in his right ear from the assault.

The group of three men and a woman were filmed walking away after the incident in the direction of North Road.

The man who punched Jonathan was said to be tall, of medium build and had black hair. He wore a light grey or white top, jeans, black and white trainers and a red coat.

Pc Paul Vickers said: "This was a particularly nasty assault and there were several witnesses captured on the CCTV.

"We would like to trace the group walking towards Jonathan when he was attacked, which included two young children, as well as anyone else who witnessed the incident.

"Although Jonathan's injuries were serious they could have been a lot worse, if not life changing, and it is imperative we find the people responsible.

"We have conducted extensive enquiries and trawled CCTV across the city and we are satisfied the group headed towards North Road.

"I am now asking the public for help in identifying who these people are."

Maxine Thompson-Curl, from the campaigning charity One Punch North East, added: "One-punch assaults happen far too often, people need to understand the horrific consequences of a single punch."

Additional reporting by Press Association