Police in Hackney have released images of a man they want to speak to in connection with an alleged violent assault in a Shoreditch cocktail bar, which led to the victim needing metal plates in his jaw.

A man was having an argument with a young woman, believed to be his girlfriend in B@1 in Old Street on Saturday June 30 at 1.20am.

The man was behaving aggressively, shouting and pointing his finger at the woman and at one point he punched the wall.

A 27-year old man, out celebrating his friend’s birthday, stepped in and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and asked him to calm down.

But the man suddenly turned on the victim, punching him in the face several times and breaking his jaw in two places.

Bouncers stepped in to save him, but as they were trying to work out what had happened the suspect broke free from them, forced a female bystander out of the way and struck the victim once again, before leaving the premises.

The suspect is a white male, aged approximately 28 years old, and around 5 feet 11 inches tall, of athletic build, clean shaven with a shaven head.

He was wearing a white T-shirt with an image that appears to be of a dancing woman, a light-coloured cardigan and jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Jack Elvin, from Hackney’s community safety unit, on 0207 275 3230, quoting reference CR4617634/12 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.