POLICE in Poole are hoping bragging louts will have implicated themselves in a vicious attack earlier this summer - and are appealing for anyone who knows about it to contact them.

A 20-year-old student visiting Bournemouth temporarily lost his hearing after a gang of yobs fractured his skull with a wooden post in the unprovoked assault in Yarmouth Road, in the early hours of June 5.

Detectives have been unable to find anyone who saw enough of the assault to give them any leads, and are now hoping the thugs will have betrayed themselves by talking about it.

Detective Inspector Brian Duffy said the student, from Kent, was walking along Yarmouth Road after a night out when he and two of his friends were followed by five youths in their late teens or early 20s.

"They realised they were behind them, asked for no trouble and were basically assaulted, as far as we can tell, for no reason," he said.

The other students, one of whom lives locally, were less seriously injured and they were all taken to Poole Hospital for treatment.

The police have carried house-to-house enquiries, but have not found concrete evidence and are appealing for help.

"It's the sort of crime that the offenders will talk about and brag about because they picked on three lads and slapped them with a post and managed to get away from police containment," said DI Duffy.

"We guess that somebody knows because they have heard about it in the pub or at school."

The incident happened less than two weeks before barrister Peter Wareing, 42, was knocked unconscious in an unprovoked attack in Churchill Road, Parkstone.

Mr Wareing, who was left fighting for his life after the attack, is still in Poole hospital following the attack.

The two incidents are not thought to be connected.

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police on 01202 222222 or can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

First published: September 7