POLICE are hunting six men who launched an unprovoked attack on Indian restaurant worker Raju Ahmed in the early hours of Friday morning.

They are treating it as a racially motivated assault, the first such incident thought to have taken place in the town.

Mr Ahmed, 25, a waiter at the Bengal Bite Tandoori Restaurant in Sheep Street, Devizes, was attacked as he returned to the flat above the restaurant in Devizes where he stays at about 2am on Friday.

The manager of the restaurant, Imam Hossain, described what happened. He said: "Raju was coming back from London, where he lives. He had got a lift from a friend and was dropped off outside the bookshop in Sidmouth Street.

"We have never had any trouble in Devizes before so the friend drove off without making sure Raju had gone inside.

"He was approached by the group of men. They were shouting racial abuse. They asked him for a cigarette but he told them he didn't smoke.

"He turned away to go to the entrance to the flats above the restaurant where members of staff stay. They demanded money and cigarettes from him. He ignored them and continued to walk away.

"Then, in Albion Place, where the entrance to the flats is, they attacked him. It was a very big struggle. Two of them had these sticks with an aluminium frame and sharp edges.

"He managed to grab one of these and tried to defend himself, but they punched him and kicked him in the face and in the body.

"A woman who lives in the flats shouted out and they ran away. If she hadn't done that it could have been even more serious."

Later that day Mr Ahmed went to Devizes Police Station to report the matter. The police took him to a nearby doctor's surgery for treatment to his wounds. He was then sent to the Royal United Hospital in Bath for X-rays, but no broken bones were diagnosed.

Mr Ahmed was badly shaken by the attack and only returned to work last night. Mr Hossain said: "He is still badly bruised and his face is swollen, but he is so shocked and nervous.

"We have never had anything like this before. It is a bit scary for us. We all live above the restaurant and we now are worried about our security.

"At that time of night there is no one around to hear anything. It is very worrying."

The assailants are described as six white men in their late teens or early 20s.

One is said to be between 18 and 22, about 5ft 10in tall, slim and clean shaven, while another is 18 to 20 with dark, curly short hair.

All are described as slim with short dark hair, and between 5ft 3in and 6ft tall.

Two had bare torsos with tattoos visible.

Detective Constable Marcus Tawn of Devizes Police said: "We are taking this attack very seriously.

"Although we are treating it as a racially aggravated assault, we don't want people to think Devizes is a bad town where things like this happen regularly. This is a very rare occurrence and we are determined to catch the people responsible."

The Bengal Bite Restaurant, formerly the Devizes Tandoori, has been open for more than ten years and no racially motivated incidents have been reported in all that time. The only previous instances of racially aggravated crime in Devizes are in relation to the Kebab House in Northgate Street.

In 2000, Leeds United fan John Hardy was fined £700 and ordered to pay £294.50 compensation after throwing a rubbish bin through the shop window following the stabbing of a Leeds fan in Turkey. The same year local man Kevin Waters was fined £400 with £263 costs after being convicted of a racially motivated public order offence at the restaurant in 1999.

Anyone with information can contact DC Tawn on (01380) 722141.