Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was attacked by a group of youths outside a Winchester pub in the early hours of Saturday.
The attack, yards from the King's Arms, Chesil Street, between 12.30 and 1.30am, is thought to be homophobic.
Officers say the man was assaulted after the group of eight to 10 youths went into the pub and started shouting abuse at customers.
When a 28-year-old man asked them to stop, he was assaulted, resulting in cuts and bruising to his face. He was taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital for treatment and released later that morning.
A police spokesman said: "Witnesses have told us that the youths thought to have assaulted the man made comments that were thought to be homophobic.
"We are still keen to speak to any passers-by, particularly a man who helped the victim to his feet after the attack."
* Contact PC Martin Daniels, or PC Ryan Bartlett, at Winchester Police Station on 0845 045 4545.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article