THUGS threatened to kill a mother and tried to sexually assault her while her boyfriend was made to watch.

The woman, 26, was brutally attacked after a club night at Essex University.

She has spoken out about her terrifying ordeal in a desperate attempt to catch her attackers, so she can feel safe again.

She had been waiting with her boyfriend in a campus car park, off Elmstead Road, Wivenhoe, for a lift home, when she was approached by two black men who had been smoking in a parked burgundy, medium-sized car.

One, a skinny man with rough-looking skin and scruffy hair, interrupted the couple’s conversation and grabbed the young woman’s arm to pull her into the car.

When she struggled and fought, the thug pushed her to the ground, where he kicked her repeatedly in the head and back.

The second man grabbed her 22-year-old boyfriend, leaving him to watch helplessly as the woman was violently beaten.

The woman said: “I shouted ‘I have a child’ and he was beating me even harder. Then he stopped and started releasing his jeans.

“He told me to perform a sex act, or he was going to kill me.”

She managed to escape and found a passer-by, whom she begged to call police before passing out.

“I just dropped to the ground and went into shock,” she recalled. “It was like I was in a deep sleep and I was just shaking from head to toe.

“I think the sound of me running off screaming frightened the men, and they started walking back to their car.

“My boyfriend started running after me.”

Her attackers also stole the couple’s mobile phones.

The woman suffered bruising to her head and pain throughout her body, but she said the worst damage had been emotional.

“I won’t go out,” she said. “I keep seeing people I think are them. It’s really frightening. My boyfriend can’t handle going out either.

“I just want them to be caught.”

Her attacker was wearing a blue, flat-peaked baseball cap with an emblem, jeans and a dark blue raincoat.

His front left tooth was discoloured and shorter than his other teeth.

His accomplice was stocky, with a round face. He had a tuft of hair on his chin and wore dark clothing.

Nishan Wijeratne, of Essex police, said: “Despite this traumatic experience, this couple have been able to supply us with some detailed descriptions of their assailants, so we hope this will lead to the suspects being identified quickly through public assistance.”

Anyone who witnessed the attack, which happened between 1.30am and 1.50am on Sunday, or has information about the two men, is urged to call detectives at Colchester CID on 0300 3334444.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.