We have issued CCTV images of two people who could have information to assist our enquiries following a homophobic assault in Liverpool city centre.
It was reported at around 12.45am on Saturday 29 April that two men were the victims of a hate crime on Dale Street, near Moorfields train station.
The two men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were both attacked after walking past two other males.
One of the men was punched in the face and then kicked while on the ground, causing serious injuries to his jaw, leg and foot.
The second victim was also punched and sustained injuries to his face and bruising to his head.
The two males who carried out the assault were with a woman at the time and we are hoping to speak with all three of them about this incident.
Detective Inspector Alan Nuttall said: “This was a despicable and unprovoked attack which has resulted in two men sustaining injuries. To be attacked because of your sexuality is appalling and we’re determined to find those responsible and remove them from our streets.
“Let me be clear, there is no place for hate crime in our city and we have a zero tolerance approach to these incidents.
“We are hoping that this assault was witnessed by others, so if you have any information please come forward to help our investigation.
“Since the assault we have carried out extensive CCTV enquiries and believe the man and woman pictured in these images could have information. If this is you pictured, or you recognise these people, please let us know.”
Merseyside Police is committed to tackling hate crime across our communities. We would encourage all victims of hate crime to come forward as we have officers and staff dedicated to protecting victims who will make sure you are supported at every step as sensitively as possible.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 23000359977.
You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
To find out more information on how to report a hate crime, visit our website: How to report hate crime | Merseyside Police
