This is the battered face of a community volunteer who was attacked for no apparent reason as he walked through a town centre.

Ismail Jogee, 63, of Audley Range, Blackburn, was punched between the eyes on his way to his sister's house on Saturday evening.

He fell to the ground and then banged his head, leaving him with two black eyes, a suspected broken nose, other facial swelling, and needing stitches to a cut on his forehead.

Mr Jogee, who lived in Malawi, Africa, and Chicago, America, before settling in Blackburn two years ago, said he had "never in his life experienced anything like this before".

Police have launched an investigation into what they describe as an "unprovoked attack", and appealed for the public to help them catch the attacker.

The assault took place in Brown Street, off Penny Street, around 7pm on Saturday.

A passer-by who witnessed the attack called police, and Mr Jogee was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital by ambulance.

Mr Jogee broke down in tears as he recalled the attack.

He said he had caught a bus outside his home in Audley to Penny Street, and was walking across Brown Street, so he would not miss his bus connection to visit his sister's house in Little Harwood.

Mr Jogee said: "I had been walking up Brown Street behind the market entrance and three youths were running in my direction, and I had my head down.

"I was just trying to catch my bus. There were these three youths who were running in my direction and one of them punched me for no reason.

"I don't know, but he may have had something in his hand.

"I fell to the floor, but remember they were running towards Morrisons."

Mr Jogee, who helps out with caretaking duties at the Learning Centre, in Audley Range, was left shaken, but is determined not to let the thugs keep him down.

He said: "It always crosses my mind why they harmed me.

"Is it because I'm old, I'm brown, or they just wanted to have fun by doing this to me? I don't know.

"I have lived in Malawi, and other countries in Africa and Chicago before coming here and I have never in my life experienced anything like this before.

"But I won't let them stop me. I will get the bus again, but I will always be wary of the people around me."

A police spokesperson said: "This was an unprovoked attack on a local gentleman going about his business when he was approached by three white men who punched him in the face before making off."

A man has been arrested and released without charge in connection with the inquiry.