A gang kicked a vulnerable man in the head and left him bleeding and lying in the street.
The group of five set upon the man, aged in his 20s, in St John’s Road, Hemel Hempstead at around 8.40pm on Wednesday, September 19.
The victim lost a tooth during the attack and suffered swelling to the head and a cut to his mouth.
The group were all white men - one was wearing a bright green hooded top, while another was wearing a dark blue hooded top.
Some of them went to the Texaco Garage on London Road after the attack to buy chocolate.
PC Sophia Latif said: “This was a sickening, unprovoked assault on a clearly vulnerable young man. The physical injuries he has suffered are extremely serious and he is still recovering from these. Understandably this has also had a huge impact on the victim’s life and his family who are devastated.
“These people must be caught and whilst I appreciate some time has passed since the incident, I am confident someone will know who is responsible or may remember seeing something in the area at the time. If you know anything about this incident please contact me. If you don’t want to give your name I would urge you to call Crimestoppers.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting crime reference number D1/12/5777. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.