AN 18-year-old man suffered a chipped tooth and a swollen lip when he was assaulted in the street by a stranger.

The victim was walking down the High Street in Margate with friends when a girl, aged about 16, walked through the group, pushing and shoving them out of the way while also shouting and swearing.

The victim asked the woman what she was doing, at which point she turned around and tried to start a fight, encouraging the victim to hit her.

He told her to go away. At that stage an unknown person hit the victim on the face, causing a tooth to chip. He fell to the ground and was hit several more times in the face.

At some point during the scuffle, the victim’s Nokia phone was taken from his pocket. The offenders then walked off up the high street.

The victim was unable to provide a description of the person who hit him. However, the girl who pushed through the group was black and had long black hair.

The incident happened at about 1.15am on Saturday. Anyone who witnessed the assault and theft is asked to contact Margate Police Station on 01843 222033.