A have-a-go-hero who stepped in to help a woman after a night out in Hoxton was brutally attacked by the man harassing her.

Detectives in Hackney want to speak to the man pictured over the assault in the early hours of Saturday October 5.

The 44-year-old victim had walked out of a bar in Hoxton Square with a friend when he saw a man and woman arguing about whether she would go home with him or not.

As the man became physically aggressive, the victim got involved and was swiftly punched in the face and knocked to the floor.

He was treated for cuts to his chin and the back of his head but the attacker walked off towards Old Street.

The man pictured is black, about 5ft 10in and in his early 30s. He was wearing a beige jacket and black jeans and carrying a black bag.

The woman he was arguing with was white, with long dark hair. She was wearing a black and white top.

Det Con Vicki Henderson, from Hackney CID, said: “This is a brutal attack on a man coming to the rescue of a woman after a night out.

“We are keen to identify the man shown in the CCTV footage so we can speak to him about the incident. We would also urge anyone who witnessed the assault to contact us.”

Anyone with information can call police via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.