The assault took place at 11.39pm on the London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness service

A group who verbally abused a gay couple on the Tube before knocking one of the men unconscious in a brutal homophobic attack are being hunted by police.

Officers have issued CCTV images of the suspects following the shocking assault on a late night train from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness in Essex.

They say the victim was hit several times in the head in the ‘unprovoked’ attack as he went to leave the train at Upminster station in east London.

The assault was so vicious that it caused him to fall to the platform, where he was left unconscious and sustained several bruises.




A British Transport Police spokesman said: ‘Shortly after midnight on April 14, the victim was travelling with his partner when a group of men began making a number of homophobic comments.

‘The comments became increasingly aggressive, at one point one of them said “gays should be strung up”.

Police say the men shown in the CCTV images may have information which could help them investigate the incident (Picture: SWNS.com)

Liverpool Street station, London (Picture: Getty Images)

‘When the victim went to leave the train at Upminster station, he was punched a number of times in the head in an unprovoked attack, causing him to fall to the platform.

‘The victim was left unconscious for a number of minutes and sustained a number of bruises.

‘The assault happened on board the 11.39pm service from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness.’

He added: ‘Officers believe the men shown in the CCTV images may have information which could help them investigate.

‘No one should ever be targeted with abuse or violent because of who they are, or who they love.’

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