The New York Police Department (NYPD) is looking for four men who yelled anti-gay remarks at a gay couple walking in midtown Manhattan.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening at around 5pm on Eighth Avenue near 34th street

Police say the victims, Kevin Atkins, 22, and Nick Porto 28, were verbally harassed and stated they were called “faggots”.

Mr Porto told DNAInfo he was out walking arm-in-arm with his partner when they were knocked to the ground by a group of men in their 20s wearing New York Knicks Jerseys.

They were both treated at a hospital and later released.

Mr Atkins was placed in a cast for a broken wrist that has left him unable to do his typing-intensive job in reality television, and Mr Porto suffered a broken nose.

Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.