A 43-year-old man from North Herts been arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm following an alleged assault in Hitchin on Sunday.

Police are appealing for information and witnesses following the incident which happened in St Mary’s churchyard in the town centre between 10.45pm and 11.10pm

The victim, a man in his 40s, was sat on a bench within the churchyard with a female friend when a man approached them.

He punched the victim, causing him to fall to the ground, before repeatedly hitting him. This has led to the victim losing consciousness for a few minutes.

The victim suffered cuts and bruises following the incident and had to attend hospital.

The 43-year-old man has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Det Con Simon Goodship said: “We are conducting a number of enquiries however I would very be keen to hear from anyone who was in the area around the time of the assault.

“The location is right in the town centre, so there may well be witnesses to the incident that have not yet come forward.

“If you saw what happened, or have any information you think may be useful to the investigation please contact me by emailing simon.goodship@herts.pnn.police.uk, by calling the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 41/64312/18, or reporting information online at herts.police.uk/Report.

Alternatively, you can stay anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.