Two women were left with horrific facial injuries after a thug pushed them to the floor and brutally stamped on their heads following a night out in Southend.

Louise Davies, 23, was pushing her friend Rachel Carr, 22, who was in a wheelchair after an operation on her feet, along Chichester Road when the thug approached them from behind.

As they neared the entrance to the Travelodge hotel, the tattooed man began to speak to them aggressively.

The next thing the pair remember is their heads smacking against the pavement during the ferocious and unprovoked attack at about 11.30pm last Saturday.

The wheelchair was then pushed into the middle of the road.

Both women were left with black eyes, bruising and swelling and Miss Davies suffered a suspected fractured eye socket.

Miss Carr, who lives in Rochford, said the pair had been to East Coast Social in London Road on a date with two men and were heading for food when the attack occurred. The men they were with had nipped off for a few minutes to make a phonecall when then violence erupted.

Miss Carr recalled: “They were only gone for about two or three minutes. When they got back we were both on the floor going in and out of consciousness with blood all over our faces.

“I can’t remember much, but all I can remember was a man being there and being scared. He was shouting.

“I tried to get out of the wheelchair to help Louise but then all I can remember is my head banging on the floor and I was just thinking ‘stop’. I didn’t think he was going to stop.”

Miss Davies, who lives in Hockley, said: “All I can remember is him stamping on my head and then everything goes black.

“I woke up and the SOS bus was dealing with Rachel.”

After calling for an ambulance, the pair were taken to Southend Hospital’s accident and emergency department by friends.

Miss Davies, who works at the Royal Bank of Scotland, said the attack has had a lasting effect on her confidence.

She said: “I haven’t really been out on my own since.

“Because I don’t know who he is, I feel like I could walk past him at any point. He needs to be caught.

“I just don’t feel comfortable.

“I can’t really sleep and I keep having flashbacks to the attack.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We are investigating the assault would like to identify this man in the CCTV image in connection with their enquiries.

“Two women, aged in their 20s, were involved in an altercation with an unknown man. They were then assaulted and suffered serious facial injuries.”

Anybody who recognises the man can call PC Chris Perry at Southend Local Policing Team on Essex Police 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.