Glassed in face by vile racist

Patrick Gilhooley was set upon by a man in the Mardi Gras bar, on Talbot Road, Blackpool, after attempting to stop him from racially attacking a black man inside the venue.

Mr Gilhooley, 47, was smashed in the face with a glass before falling, breaking his leg in three places.

A manhunt is now underway for the wanted man who police believe is in his 50s or 60s and from the Fylde area.

Speaking from his hospital bed yesterday, Mr Gilhooley, from Thornton, said: “I was disgusted at what this man was saying to the other man, and he looked scared, I was concerned for his safety.

“I think I may have lost consciousness after being hit on the head, when I came round I was in excruciating pain.”

The Good Samaritan yesterday underwent surgery on the three fractures to his lower right leg, having already had treatment for a one inch gash to his right eye brow, caused by the glass.

Police are now hunting the attacker, who they believe to be local, and are calling on any witnesses, including the initial victim and a man who called himself Malcolm, who helped the victim, to come forward following the attack at 9pm on Saturday.

Det Sgt Mark Dickinson, from Blackpool CID, said: “The victim was acting as peace keeper and for his troubles has been glassed in the face and has fractured his leg as he has fallen.

“We think this was a racially motivated attack on a black man in the premises, it was very crude racial abuse.

“The victim was trying to do the right thing. He tried to get in between them to stop the fight and has come out far worse. These are very serious injuries.”

Police were yesterday reviewing CCTV footage while the victim was treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Mark Johnson, manager at the newly renamed Brandy’s @ The Mardi Gras, said: “I was going to ask this guy to leave but by the time I got to him he had tried to hit the other man. So Patrick jumped in, it all happened so quickly. We do not have trouble like this in here.”

Det Sgt Dickinson added: “He doesn’t have a lot of memory of it because he was bashed to the head. But he did say he’d never seen the attacker before and that he was hit from behind.

“He is the only one with significant injuries although the man did also throw glass at a member of staff. We’d be very keen to talk to the black man. He is believed to be around 40-years-old and may have dreadlocks. We’d also appeal to any other customers who may have witnessed the incident. We do not tolerate racist abuse in this town.”

The offender is described as a local man, in his 50s or 60s, and wearing glasses.