The family of a young man whose jaw was broken in an unprovoked attack are appealing for witnesses to come forward to help police catch the offenders.

Sunny Sharma was walking home along Church Road in Paddock Wood. As he passed the John Brunt pub, a black car pulled up alongside him; several men jumped out and assaulted him.

The 20-year-old, who works in the catering department at Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury, fell to the ground unconscious. When he came to, his money, around £80, had been taken from his jacket.

Passers-by stopped to help him. He was bleeding badly and was disorientated.

The passers-by called an ambulance, and Mr Sharma was treated for injuries including a broken jaw, first at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and then at East Grinstead Hospital.

Surgeons had to insert a metal plate into his jaw.

His mother, Sonia Sharma, said: “Sunny will have these plates in his jaw for the rest of his life.

“The incident has affected us all very much. Sunny has been suffering from bouts of depression and is hesitant and nervous about going outside alone.

“All the family are now scared of going out at night. My husband and I work at the hospital and we do odd shifts, often coming home alone in the dark. It’s not fair that we have to live in fear.”

“Sunny will have these plates in his jaw for the rest of his life" - Sonia Sharma

The family has lived in the town since 2004.

Mr Sharma said he had never seen his attackers before or since. He thinks there were four of them, aged around 25 to 30, but it happened so quickly he does not have a good description.

The police confirmed they were investigating the incident, which happened between 5pm and 5.24pm on Sunday September 13.

Anyone who saw the assault, or the black car is asked to call the police on 101, quoting crime reference yy/018337-15.