A toddler and his father were injured after a confrontation in a country pub.

The victims were at a family party at the pub when a fight broke out and one man pushed another who fell on to the 18-month old.

The toddler suffered head and cheek injuries and had to be taken to hospital.

When the child’s 33-year-old father asked the group of men and women about what had happened he was then knocked to the ground and kicked – suffering bruising to the face.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the attack which took place at the Yew Tree Pub in Chalvington, near Hailsham.

Set in seven acres of Sussex countryside, the pub – with parts of it dating back to 1642 – has been described on TripAdvisor as “the perfect family country pub”.

It also received the TripAdvisor ‘certificate of excellence’ this year.

A spokesman for the pub described the incident as the “first here in 30 years”.

He said: “I can assure you we are a very gentle country pub. It is an extremely rare occurrence.”

The victims were from Sevenoaks in Kent and the first suspect was a slightly overweight white man with scruffy ginger hair who was 5’ 10” or 5’ 11”.

He was unshaven and wearing a white or cream t-shirt and shorts.

The second suspect was a white man with short brown hair who was slim and 5’ 8” or 5’ 9”. He was wearing a white T-shirt and shorts.

PC Nikki Desouza said: “This is a nasty case involving a young child being assaulted, receiving facial injuries, and also his father when he has intervened. I would ask anyone with any knowledge to please come forward.”

Email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 525 of 28/07, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.