Ten Teenagers Attacked Two Men While Hurling Homophobic Slurs 

Authorities in England are looking for a gang of ten teenagers who attacked two men in what police say was a homophobic attack.

The young men, 22 and 25, were waiting with friends for a ride home in the early morning on Sunday at a local grocery store parking lot in the English town of Bishop's Stortford, according to a police press release.

A group of 10 boys and girls between 16 and 17 approached the two men, hurled homophobic slurs at them, and then attacked them.

Authorities say the group knocked one of the men out and he was left with a fractured cheek, eye socket, and nose. The second victim received a split eyebrow with cuts and bruises to the face.

The group ran off before an ambulance came to take the victims to a local hospital.

"This despicable attack was completely unprovoked and left both men with serious injuries. They are being supported by specially trained hate crime officers at what is understandably a very difficult time," Investigator Gary Bangs said.

Bangs asked that anyone with information please contact the authorities.

Authorities also encouraged LGBTQ+ community members to report to them if they do face a hate crime, noting that there are specifically trained officers that work with LGBTQ+ people in such matters.

"Hate crime can have a devastating impact on victims and the wider community as a whole and will simply not be tolerated," Bangs said.

The attack on these two men comes only a couple of weeks after several men attacked a gay couple in the streets of Edinburgh.

Reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in the U.K. almost tripled between 2014 and 2020, according to data obtained by the BBC. The number rose from 6,655 to 18,465 during that period.