A Broadstairs woman has started a petition urging police to put more officers on patrol after witnessing a brutal assault by up to 30 teenagers.

Christina Cosens and Charlotte Gates were outside The Charles Dickens pub in Broadstairs when they saw a gang of teenagers running and shouting.

Mrs Cosens said: “We then saw about 30 kids who looked about 14 attacking two men.

“Both boys and girls were punching and kicking the men and after the assault they all ran off in the direction of the station.

“The men were badly beaten up, both of their faces were a mess.”

She said they went to help them and told them what had happened. Now she has launched an online petition.

“What they told us is really quite scary,” said Mrs Cosens.

“One of them was just eating fish and chips on a bench when the kids went past.

“Apparently the kids were being rude and when the chap said something to them they just attacked him.

“The other man tried to help and they turned on him too.

"The people of Broadstairs do not feel safe on the street anymore – these youths need to be found and dealt with" - Christina Cosens

“The people of Broadstairs do not feel safe on the street anymore – these youths need to be found and dealt with.

“But if we still had police presence in the town, these youths from out of town would not come here.

“On one of the posts on our Broadstairs! Facebook group some said they come here because they know there’s no police about, so they get drunk and behave dreadfully.”

Two arrests have been made following the assault which saw two men in their 50s sustain cuts and bruises to their faces outside the Royal Albion Hotel at 11pm.

Insp Rhiannan Simpson said: “Although two people have been arrested, we believe there were more people present during the incident and our officers want to identify them.

“CCTV is being reviewed but we understand some people might have filmed the incident on their phones and we would urge them to come forward with the footage.

“We appreciate a report of this nature, particularly in a close-knit community such as Broadstairs, can be alarming.

“I want to reassure residents that it will not be tolerated and appropriate action will be taken.”

Mrs Gates said: “We need a greater police presence to make Broadstairs safer.

“I am a nurse and a mum of four kids and we just want a safe place to live in so we want to raise awareness for this petition.”

Click here to view the petition.

Anyone with more information about the assault can contact police on 01843 222289 quoting reference ZY/029335/15.