Police today appealed for witnesses after an assault that took place during St Giles’ Fair.

A 17-year-old boy was walking through the fair when he was surrounded by a group of men who began to assault him near to the Helter Skelter.

The boy managed to get away from these men, but was then confronted by another man, who set his dog on him.

The boy sustained injuries to his arm and chest that required treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

The attack happened at about 10pm on Tuesday, September 7, but details were only released this afternoon.

The man with the dog is described as mixed race, approximately 6ft tall, in his mid-twenties, with a scruffy beard. He was wearing a black Adidas jacket with a red collar.

The dog is described as being black, with a small amount of white under the jaw. He was being led on a chain lead.

PC Tim Preen said: “This was a nasty assault and I would appeal for anyone with information about this incident to come forward and speak to us as soon as possible.

“There would have been a lot of people around at the fair and I know there are people who saw this incident and would have seen the owner of the dog at some point during the night.”

Anyone with information should contact PC Preen via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 0845 8 505 505. Alternatively, you can contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.