A STUDENT nurse today told how she has been left mentally scarred after she was viciously attacked yards from her family home.

Claire Scott was punched and kicked in the face when she refused to give a man a cigarette while crossing Palmeira Square, Hove, at midnight.

She was left lying shaken on the ground with bruises under both her eyes.

The attack happened as Claire approached her parents' home after an evening at the pub.

Now Claire, 20, who is training at Sussex University's Institute of Nursing, says she is scared to go out at night.

She said: "I'm on a holiday from work this week and this wasn't a very nice start to it.

"A couple of nights later I wanted to go out, but it took me ages to get myself ready because it was dark outside.

"I've even bought myself an attack alarm now, just in case.

"I just keep thinking everyone who walks past me is going to attack me."

Claire was first approached by the man and his friend after passing the bench they were sitting on at the square.

She said: "They started walking along with me and then one of them asked me for a cigarette.

"When I said no he punched me, so I bent down and he kicked me in the forehead.

"All the time the other one was just laughing. Then they ended up just running off.

"After the second punch I thought hopefully that would be it, but as I bent down the man kicked me in the forehead and I feared he might carry on.

"They never actually tried to take anything from me, even though I had my mobile phone in my coat pocket, my fags in my back pocket and a bit of money in another pocket.

"It was just a mindless attack."

Claire added: "I had been at the Leek and Winkle pub on the other side of town all night, so the fact that this happened on my doorstep was even more shocking."

When Claire went to work at the Royal Sussex County Hospital the next day she was sent home because her right eye had started to bruise and her left was starting to go yellow.

The man who assaulted Claire was between 18 and 20, 5ft 7in tall and had dark hair, combed into a centre parting, and a local accent.

He wore a black bomber jacket, blue jeans and black Kickers shoes.

Anyone with information on the attack should call Brighton CID on 001273 606744, or Crimestoppers on 00800 555111.

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