A gay couple who were walking through a park in south London during the early hours of this morning have been viciously assaulted by a gang of men with one of the attackers saying “stay down faggot.”

The incident happened on Sunday 19 May at around 12:30am.

Christopher Bryant, 42, and his partner Damon Truluck, 38, were walking home across Betts Park in Penge, in the London Borough of Bromley, when six men approached them.

Speaking to PinkNews.co.uk on Sunday afternoon, Mr Bryant said: “We saw them too late to get away. We ran, and I was getting away, but they caught Damon, my partner, and so I doubled back. I tried to get them off him, and that’s when they thumped me to the ground.

“When I looked up to see if he was ok one of them kicked me in the face, and said ‘stay down faggot’. Every time I looked up to see what was happening to Damon they either thumped or kicked me, and said ‘don’t try anything’. They went through my pockets and took my wallet and phone. But they kept hitting. Before they ran off they pushed us together and told us to stay still for 5 minutes or they’d kill us.”

The assault took place just hours after Mr Bryant celebrated his 42nd birthday. He suffered multiple injuries to his face.

Mr Truluck suffered injuries to his back and hip – and is currently finding it difficult to walk.

The couple have now been released from hospital.

Mr Bryant is originally from Cornwall and Mr Truluck from Essex.

The Metropolitan Police Service say they are investigating the incident and have told PinkNews.co.uk that so far no arrests have been made.

Before the attack, both men were raising awareness of Friday’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia through online magazine https://www.polarimagazine.com, of which Mr Bryant is the editor.