TWO men were taken to hospital with facial wounds after a night of violence in Weymouth town centre.

In two separate assaults in the early hours of Saturday morning, a 21-year-old Weymouth man and a 29-year-old visitor received treatment at Dorset County Hospital.

Police sealed off the streets to enable a crime scene investigation to take place.

The first assault happened shortly after 1am in Mitchell Street when a group of men on a stag night became involved in a row with another group of men.

A 29-year old man from Chatham in Kent was attacked and taken to hospital with an eye injury. Carol Crabb, landlady of the Globe on East Street, called an ambulance after seeing a man covered in blood outside.

She said: “There was a lot of commotion outside groups that had come from other pubs and when I went outside I saw a man covered in blood on the floor.

“I brought out towels to stem the blood and rang for help and almost instantly the police were there.”

A few hours later at 3.20am a 21-year-old man, from Weymouth, was seriously assaulted in New Street, near the Surfside takeaway.

He was taken to hospital with severe facial injuries.

DC Ed Meanwell, of Weymouth CID, is appealing for witnesses to the assault.

Landlord Mark Crabb of the Globe and his wife Carol described the night as ‘chaos’ with trouble caused by drinkers from other pubs.

Carol said: “This kind of violence has to stop because it puts other people off.

“Something has to be done.

“For a start cut out the cheap drink and the longer drinking hours.”

Lou Gurd, a doorman at the Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Working Men’s Club in Mitchell Street, said there has been a considerable rise in the number of young people drunk in the streets since the licensing laws were changed in 2005.

He said: “The noise late at night is so loud it wakes you up and you see so many kids and young people out on the streets swearing and being loud.

“It has made Weymouth rougher at night and we are seeing more and more incidents like this out on the streets.”

Two men have been charged with assault in connection with the New Street incident and will appear before Weymouth magistrates today.

Dorset Police have appealed for witnesses and anyone with information about both incidents to call them on 01305 222222.