A cafe owner today appealed for help in catching three teenagers who assaulted him as he walked home from work.

Brian Estall was left with a black eye and battered face after he and his wife were confronted by the youths at 9pm on Friday

Mr Estall and his wife Melody had just locked up for the night at the Cameo Cafe in Church Street which they own and run together.

Brian Estall near where he was assaulted

As the couple walked past the Mercury Theatre they asked a group of ten teenagers to let them pass but when they got onto the footbridge leading to St Mary's car park they were confronted again by them.

"They assaulted me in quite a bad way. My face is very badly bruised and my eye has been left half shut and my face is swollen.

"I told my wife to walk on ahead of me to safety when it looked like things were turning nasty. All I did was ask them to move out of my way," he said.

Mr Estall, of Papillon Road, Colchester, said he was fed up with the situation and wanted to stop it from happening again to someone less fit.

He urged anyone with information to contact police in Colchester on 01206 762212.

Published Monday, March 4, 2002