A young man who was left with serious facial injuries after an assault in Marlow has spoken out after his attacker was convicted saying he was shocked the attack happened in such a “civilised” town.

Tom Kennedy, 21, had reconstructive surgery on his face following a late night alcohol fuelled attack on the High Street in May last year.

Mr Kennedy was next to an ATM machine and became engaged in conversation with 20 –year-old Ryan Davies – who he did not know.

Following the talk – which Mr Kennedy admitted he does not remember – Davies punched him in the face causing a serious cut to his upper lip.

Mr Kennedy, who was visiting the town from Reading for a friends birthday, said: “It was my friend’s birthday he lives near Marlow so we went out there. I rarely go there apart from for Regatta so this was a one off.

“With Marlow you expect a nice civilised night out so I didn’t think anything like this would happen at all.

“I have no idea what we (Davies) were talking about. I wish I could remember but I just don’t.”

However despite the scale of the attack, which left him needing facial reconstructive surgery, Mr Kennedy said he has been unaffected by it and will return to the town for Regatta this summer.

Davies, who is from Lines Road in Lane End, was found guilty of GBH at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday 11 March.

He was sentenced at the same court hearing to 12 months in prison which has been suspended for two years.

He is also required to undertake a thinking skills programme, 35 days of rehabilitation, adhere to a curfew from 10pm - 6am for four months and pay £1,000 victim compensation.

Marlow’s top police officer, Sgt Robin Hughes, took the chance to assure residents that this kind of attack in the town is very rare, and crime stats are still “reassuringly low.”

And PC Daniel Crickmore from Force CID in High Wycombe said: "I am pleased to hear that further to my investigation and case preparation, the suspect in this case has been convicted of causing injury to the victim further to an unprovoked attack fuelled by alcohol.

“This conviction is a direct result of TVP investigation and is a clear message that violence, in particular to those resulting in injury and related to alcohol is not tolerated and will be investigated holding such perpetrators to account for their actions."