Police say a man was in the Little Caesar's Pizza at 605 Richmond Street, at Central Ave, when an unidentified man came up to him and repeatedly punched him in the face without provocation.

Customers intervened, police say, and the suspected fled the restaurant in an unknown direction.

The victim sustained serious facial injuries as a result of the assault and had to have emergency surgery.

The two men were not known to each other, police say.

There were a number of people in the restaurant who witnessed the beating and police want them to come forward.

The suspect is in his mid-20s, about 5'9, with a tanned complexion, an athletic build and shaved hair on the sides with a short mohawk.

He was wearing a black v-neck t-shirt with gold lettering on it.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call London police at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Information can also be sent in on-line anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.