A WOMAN needed nine stitches after she was assaulted by three men outside a Rawtenstall takeaway.

The 45-year-old victim was attacked outside MiMi’s, in Bacup Road, after she intervened in a five-man brawl.

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Police have only just released details of the incident, which happened between 4.15am and 4.45am on April 19.

Detectives want to speak to the three men, one of whom punched the woman — who was with her two nephews — in the face and body.

She needed five stitches to her top lip and a further four stitches inside her mouth, and also received treatment for a fractured finger and bruising to her chest.

One man was black and was wearing a blue T-shirt with a white number three on the front. A second man was described as mixed race and was wearing a grey T-shirt. The third man was white, dressed in a dark blue shirt.

It is thought that the men in blue and grey left the scene in a taxi and one of them may have suffered a leg injury.

PC Estelle James, of Burnley Police, said: “This was a nasty incident which left the victim with a number of injuries.

“I urge anyone with information about the assault to get in touch on 101, quoting log number 0942 of April 19.”