POLICE are hunting a thug who threw a bottle in a man’s face in what is being treated as a homophobic attack.
The victim was walking home from a nightclub with his partner in Edinburgh’s city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning when a man confronted them and made homophobic remarks.
The man then threw a bottle in the victim’s face, leaving him with cuts and “the possibility of permanent scarring,” police said.
Eight days ago two men were attacked in the same part of town in another homophobic incident.
The victim of Sunday’s attack had left the CC Blooms nightclub and was walking down Easter Road at around 1am.
As the reached the first bus stop on the street, they saw a man holding a bottle approach them.
The man confronted the victim and his partner and made homophobic remarks before throwing the bottle, which hit the victim in the face and smashed on the ground.
He then made off towards London Road.
The suspect is described as male, white, 5ft 10in with broad shoulders and light dirty blonde hair,
He is in his early 20’s, is clean shaven with round face, has a Scottish accent, and was wearing a dark woollen round neck jumper.
DC Chris Harding from Police Scotland said: “This attack left the victim with cuts to his face and the possibility of permanent scarring.
“We are treating it as a homophobic attack and are keen to trace any witnesses to this incident, or anyone who recognised the description of the attacker.”
In the early hours of Saturday 14 September two gay men were subjected to a vicious assault after they left the Planet Out bar, which is near CC Blooms.
A 26-year-old man was knocked to the ground, and when his 27-year-old friend approached to help a man told him ““Are you a f****** p*** as well then?” before punching him in the face.
The victim, who asked not to be named, said: ““I heard screaming and shouting and turned round to see my friend lying on the pavement.
“I ran over and found him knocked out cold.
“I had tunnel vision for my friend so I hardly noticed this man come up to me. He made a homophobiccomment then punched me twice.”
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, or make an anonymous report through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
