A teenager was assaulted by one of a gang of seven men after she refused to engage in a sex act.
Police today launched an appeal for witnesses to the attack in Queen Street, Colchester.
Officers called for calm to prevent further violence tonight, with hundreds of revellers expected to hit the pubs from the afternoon to the early hours.
Friday night was one of the busiest of the year for bars and clubs, and the Colchester town policing team dealt with 25 incidents.
Saturday was quieter, but trouble brewed when the 17-year-old was confronted by the seven men in Queen Street.
She was making her way home with a friend when she was punched in the head by a suspect described as black with very dark skin, tall, well-built, and wearing a black bomber jacket.
Colchester town police inspector Paul Butcher urged drivers and pedestrians who were in the area at the time to contact him with any information that could be of use.
- Anyone with information about the attack should call Colchester police on 01206 762212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
- More in today's Gazette
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