A GWENT man said his confidence is destroyed after a gang of thugs fractured his eyesocket in three places in a vicious attack.

Alan Hughes, 58, from Oakfield in Cwmbran also suffered severe bruising all over his body after five men kicked, punched and stamped on him just yards from his daughter's home on the weekend of April 8 and 9.

Mr Hughes has had to eat liquidised food since the attack and faces being off work for more than two months while he recovers from his injuries.

The engineer says doctors told him a nerve beneath his eyesocket has been crushed and metal plates may have to be inserted into his face to allow the fractures to heal.

But he says the mental scars will take longer to heal.

"I just don't feel the person I was," said Mr Hughes, who works at the distribution centre for Wilkinsons in Magor.

"I feel violated. It's knocked a spark out of me, and I don't feel confident about going out any more.

"Since it happened I've felt absolutely shattered. All I've done is lie down." Mr Hughes said the attack has left him with severe headaches and eating has become a problem.

"Everytime I chew my food a terrible pain shoots up the left side of my face."

Mr Hughes was walking home from an evening at a friend's house at around 2am on Sunday, April 9 when a young man started verbally abusing him in Green Willows.

He said the young man made a call on his mobile phone and moments later four more youths "appeared from nowhere" and brutally assaulted him close to the home of his daughter Tania Carrington.

PC Liam Llewellyn, of Cwmbran Police, said: "Witnesses have identified a number of suspects said to be in the location at the time of the attack.

"We will be interviewing them to find out what happened."

PC Llewellyn invited anyone with any further information to call police on 01633 838111.