A  man was attacked by a gang of teenagers in an alleyway.

The victim, a man aged in his 40s, was walking through the alleyway between Great Gregorie and Nethermayne sometime between 9pm and 9:30pm on Tuesday 20 August when he was approached by a group of five or six black teenagers.

One of the teenagers asked the victim for a cigarette, before the victim was hit over the head.

Upon falling to the floor, he was further assaulted by members of the group.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "The victim is, understandably, left shaken by this assault and we would urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward by calling Basildon’s Local Policing Team on 101.

"Please quote the crime reference number 42/140239/19 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can speak to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by submitting an anonymous report on their website."