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These horrific pictures show the bloodied and battered face of a train passenger who was beaten up by a gang of youths because he refused to give them his TOP HAT.

Jacky Pautonnier was returning home from a dinner party when a man aggressively asked to try on his "trademark" hat that he wears every day.

But when the 54-year-old refused, the thug returned with two friends and followed him onto the train at Catford Bridge station, in south east London.

They then beat him unconscious before making off with his hat.

Mr Pautonnier awoke on the train's floor in Charring Cross, eight miles away from where they boarded, covered in blood.

He underwent re-constructive surgery to repair the fractures on Wednesday last week.

French Jack, an e-cigarette salesman said: "It's awful. I have been so sad without my top hat. We had spent the day eating cheese and I was tired so I went home alone.

(Image: SWNS)

"I was wearing my top hat and this guy carrying bags of spirits pestered me on the platform.

"The guy said, 'hey mate, can I try on your top hat' but the way he asked me wasn't very nice. Usually it wouldn't be a problem but I said no and he wasn't very happy."

Ten minutes later the thug returned with two friends and the trio taunted him on the platform at around 9pm on February 28 before boarding the train with him.

The father-of-two said: "The three guys sat behind me and started to tip my hat and I said, 'Can you stop please' but he came and sat next to me.

"Then I got up and one of the guys pushed me against the carriage door and said, 'You are getting on my nerves, why won't you let me wear your hat'.

"I tried to calm him down but I blacked out here, I lost consciousness."

(Image: SWNS)

Mr Pautonnier, who moved to London from Normandy in 2006, awoke to see a pool of blood in front of him at around 10pm.

He got the tube home to Canada Water, in south east London, and went to sleep but later his partner-of-five-years Jennie Allen, 49, returned home and convinced him to go to hospital.

X-rays at the Royal London Hospital, in Whitechapel, east London, confirmed that Jacky had fractures below his left eye, on his nose and on the top of his left eye and had to undergo an hour-long operation to prevent permanent damage.

Mr Pautonnier, who is president of the Association of London Normans, bought the hat for £45 in 2008 from the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street, west London, after his son Alex, then 18 and visiting form France, said it suited him.

Alex, now a 24-year-old chef in London, convinced his dad to wear it to work the next day and Jacky never looked back.

Jacky said: "I wore it to work and everybody commented that it suited me. I've worn it ever since and it has become my trademark.

"I feel sad without it. I've got another one but it's just not the same."

British Transport Police released the images of three men they wish to talk to following the assault but are yet to make any arrests.

Investigating officer Stephen Allen said: "I am keen to speak to the men in the CCTV images as they may hold vital information to my investigation and I urge them to come forward."

Friends have now set up an online fundraiser to raise £200 to get Jacky a new hat.