BEN HOUGHTON was waiting for a bus to go to see his girlfriend when a stranger kicked him hard in the face.

The 39-year-old from Greater Leys suffered four facial fractures and has nerve damage.

Now police are appealing for help in tracking down the person responsible for the attack at 7.25pm on Wednesday, March 28, at the bus stop at the junction of Lobelia Road and Field Avenue, Blackbird Leys.

The unemployed construction worker said: “I was waiting at the bus stop and all of a sudden felt this almighty great thump on my head.

“I hit the ground and blood was pouring from my face.”

Mr Houghton said he had no idea why he had been targeted, adding: “There is no reason. I have done nothing to anyone to want to randomly kick me in the face like that.”

Mr Houghton needed 10 stitches to his top lip and said one of the most upsetting aspects of the assault was having to attend his grandmother Lilian Stone’s funeral at Oxford Crematorium two days later with the fresh wounds.

He said he was very close to the 97-year-old from Bicester who died on March 16.

He said: “I had to go to the funeral with blood dripping down my nose. It was really upsetting.”

He said it would be months before he would recover from the injuries adding: “It will be a long term recovery because of the nerve damage to my face.

“I can’t eat solid food, I can’t bite anything. My face and my mouth are still numb.

“I went to see a consultant and he said I was very lucky to be alive.”

The offender was in a group of three men. He is said to be white, in his late 20s to early 30s, about 6ft tall, stocky, with very short hair and a distinctive indentation across the top of his head from ear to ear.

Police are asking anyone with information to call them on 101.