A GANG attack which left two Eastern European men with facial injuries is being treated as a hate crime by police.

The victims were walking home carrying groceries late at night when they were set upon from behind.

Members of a group of five men and a woman, who moments earlier approached shoppers and asked what were in the bags, are suspected of committing the attack.

It happened at the junction of Gaskell Street with Sankey Street, Parr at 12.15am, on Sunday, March 9.

One of the men suffered a fractured eye socket, fractured cheekbone, a cut lip and a chipped tooth. The second man received cuts to his face and a black eye.

Detectives from Sigma, Merseyside Police’s specialist hate crime investigation unit, are investigating and are keen to speak to two women who came to the victims' aid.

Detective Constable Stacey Traynor said: “We are treating this incident as a hate crime and are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the attack, or the group at any point during the evening, to come forward in case they can help the investigation.

"We are particularly keen to speak to the two women who helped the victims in case they have vital information for our enquiries.”

The group of men are believed to be aged between 18 and 23 while the female is described as being of small build with shoulder-length straight dark hair.

Call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 6811, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.