Police are appealing for witnesses after a group of students were attacked last week, after their graduation ceremony.

The students, who had been celebrating at Cheltenham Racecourse, were approached by three men at around 4am on Friday 27 November and confronted.

The incident took place on Lansdown Road, near to the Westall Green roundabout.

Two of the male students involved in the attack sustained facial injuries and broken bones.

Gloucestershire police said:

“The offenders are described as being in their late teens. One is described as mixed heritage and the two others as white. All are around the height of 5 foot 8 to 5 foot 11”

Two 18-year-old men and a 19-year-old man, all from Cheltenham, have been arrested in connection with the attack, and have been bailed until Friday 8 January, pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information regarding this occurrence are asked to contact the police on 101, and quote incident 27 of Friday 27 November.

In the wake of the assault, Community Officer at the University of Gloucestershire, Hope Fawsitt, encourages students to:

“Walk in groups, not alone”

When speaking about the incident she stated that:

“It’s very rare, you don’t often hear about attacks like that happening in Cheltenham, especially to students”

Community Patrol Officers have recently been formed by the university’s Students’ Union, in an attempt to ensure students remain safe when on nights out in Cheltenham.

Some students described previous violent incidents they’d been involved with.

Joseph Webb said:

“There have been a few occasions when I’ve gone out and people have just started trying to fight me for no reason”

Joe Doran had also been involved in previous attacks:

“I have been started on after leaving a club, once I got beaten up quite badly”

Neither of these students chose to report their incidents to the police.

Listen to Community Officer, Hope Fawsitt’s full interview here:

https://soundcloud.com/studentjournalists-1/hope-fawsitt-interview/s-gh2tw