POLICE are to step up patrols in Devizes town centre after officers volunteered to work on into the early hours to combat late night attacks.

Sgt Dave Bonner-Smith from Devizes police station said that officers whose shifts normally finished at 10pm had agreed to work on to 3am on Saturdays and Sundays, following a spate of street attacks. Special constables have also volunteered to work until 3am.

The move follows three unprovoked attacks in the town during the last three weekends.

The latest happened at 11.30pm on Friday when two 24-year-old Devizes men were savagely attacked by three youths with beer bottles in Rotherstone, close to the cemetery.

One of the victims was left unconscious and sustained a suspected fractured eye socket. Both were treated at Devizes Community Hospital but were discharged after treatment.

One victim, who did not wish to be named, said: "We were walking back to the centre after visiting friends in Waiblingen Way.

"I saw these three blokes by the side of the road and one of them called out my name. We continued walking and had nearly got to the cemetery when they came up behind us. They were carrying big plastic bags full of bottles of beer.

"One of them poured out the beer from one of the bottles and hit me with it in the side of the face. "

The three attackers are white and in their late teens or early 20s. The first youth is about 5ft 7in, of slim build and with a distinctive haircut, shaved at the sides with a centre parting. He was wearing a blue denim jacket and blue baggy jeans.

The second youth has blonde hair and is 6ft. The third youth has ginger hair.

PC Mike Owen said one of the attackers was injured. "Somebody's husband or son returned home that night with blood on him and, if so, we would like to hear about it. This was a vicious, unprovoked attack."

Devizes police say they do not believe the assaults are connected.

A number of arrests were made following the attack on a 35-year-old man outside the Dungeon night club two weeks ago. A man has been given police bail.