Communities in Oxford have been left shocked by an "awful assault" which happened during the early hours in the city centre over the weekend.
A man in his 20s was assaulted by a number of men in Bulwarks Lane between 11pm on Friday, June 7 and 2.30am on Saturday, June 8.
Thames Valley Police launched an investigation into the incident on Sunday and the force is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
The man received several injuries which were not life-threatening or life-changing but which left him in hospital.
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A police cordon was in place in George Street Mews over the weekend.
Upon hearing the news, city councillor for Hinksey Park, Anna Railton, said: “I'm sorry to see that this is happening in Oxford and I'm glad the police are taking it seriously.
"We’ve got the Safer Oxford Partnership going which is all about working across different organisations and groups to try and react to this better and to stop this kind of thing happening in the city.
"People should be able to feel safe walking around Oxford at any time, so I'm sorry to hear about this and hopefully they can catch the people involved.”
"I do hope the victim is recovering and will soon be OK.
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"It’s sad that it happened in this picturesque alley.
"When you are there you can so easily imagine that you have gone back in time to medieval Oxford.
"Fortunately this kind of incident is very rare in Oxford, especially in the city centre.
"Usually there are plenty of people around, even in the early hours of the morning, so everyone feels quite safe."
Ms Pressel added that she is determined the make the area safer.
She said: "However, having heard about this assault, I’m determined to make the area even safer.
"St Peter’s College has buildings on both sides of Bulwarks Lane and I’ll try to work with them, the police and the city council to see if we can improve the lighting and add CCTV, at the very least.”
Police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley Police, Matthew Barber, and the nearby Westgate Shopping Centre have been contacted for comment.
Today a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We are continuing our investigation following an assault in Oxford City Centre.
"The victim is no longer in hospital.
"We are following a number of lines of enquiry and would ask anyone with information to please call 101 quoting reference 43240267756.”
Commenting on Sunday, Thames Valley Police detective inspector, Rebecca Sargeant, said: “We have launched an investigation following this incident and are following a number of lines of enquiry.
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"We are seeking to gather further information regarding the full circumstances of what has happened.
“We are asking anyone who may have been in the Bulwarks Lane or George Street Mews areas between 11pm on Friday and 2.30am on Saturday, to please get in touch if they have any information.
“If you were in the area or have information that you believe could assist us, then please call 101 quoting reference 43240267756, or you can provide information on our online pages quoting the same reference.”
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