A WOMAN was left with a broken nose after a sickening attack by a man as she queued at a Blackburn taxi office.

Lynne Procter, 33, could require surgery after she was punched while trying to protect her boyfriend.

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Miss Procter, from Darwen, said up to 10 of the drunken attacker’s friends looked on as she was left bloodied after the ‘unprovoked’ assault.

Her partner, Mark Jackson, was also left with a black eye after the altercation at Intack and Central Private Hire, in Mill Lane.

The couple had been playing pool at VIP Snooker, in Mincing Lane, and gone for a drink in ZY Bar, in Market Street Lane, before attempting to make their way home at around 3.30am on Saturday.

But instead they ended up in Royal Blackburn Hospital, where Miss Procter has to return later this week to discover if she requires an operation on her wounded nose.

She said: “I was more stunned than anything. I didn’t even cry, I just felt this warm gush of blood. My clothes are ruined, they were just covered in blood.

“I couldn’t believe that this man, who was much bigger than me, would hit a woman. I would definitely recognise him if I saw him again.

“He had been in VIP earlier in the evening, bragging about how he had just got out of jail. He looked like he was on drugs and just wanted to hit anyone.

“I have to ring the hospital later this week to find out what’s going on with my nose. They said I might need an operation.”

Mr Jackson, 31, said the attacker had followed the couple out of ZY Bar towards the taxi office and then punched him when they got inside.

He said he pleaded with staff to lock the door to protect him and Miss Procter, before she too was punched.

He said: “I was in ordering the taxi while Lynne stood outside. Quite a few of these lads came in and just started whacking me.

“I was half knocked out and looking for Lynne. They tried to stop her coming in to help me and that’s when she got hit as well. She was just trying to see if I was ok.

“There was nothing we had done to provoke it. One of the guys had put his hand on me in the club earlier but I have no idea why.”

The couple, who are both unemployed, are currently staying with family in Blackburn while they recover from their injuries.

Lynne’s mum, Pauline, 54, said the attacker should be ‘ashamed’ of hitting a woman.

She said: “He’s an absolute coward. An absolute coward, nothing more, nothing less.

“I got a call in the early hours and my first thought was just: ‘Oh my god’. I couldn’t believe it.

“To hear that he was bragging about being in jail just sums up what sort of man he must be.It’s absolutely wrong.”

Miss Procter said the attacker was well-built, with a tribal tattoo on his right arm, had dark brown hair and was using an orange Nokia mobile phone.

Local councillor Mohammed Khan said: “I’m very sorry to hear about things like this happening when people are trying to make their way home safely after a night out.

“It’s not acceptable and for this woman to be punched is disgraceful. I hope police find the perpetrator and bring him to justice.”

Police are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the.

Inspector Michael Johnson, said: “We attended a report of an assault at the location at 3.30am on Saturday morning.

“A statement was taken from the aggrieved on Sunday and inquiries are ongoing.

“Anyone with information should call 101.”

No one from Intack and Central Private Hire was available to comment.