Choose Your Friends Carefully...

Anja Housden-Brooks was left with a broken nose, shattered cheekbones and a split tear duct in the attack on Saturday.

She says she was battered 'out of the blue' by a member of staff at The Venue Bar in Southend, Essex, after having drinks with friends.

Hmmm. Let's see if this one passes the smell test.

Mother-of-three Ms Housden-Brooks explained she was running errands in Southend on Saturday evening when she bumped into a friend by chance. She joined the pal who was meeting a group of friends at The Venue Bar and drank two gin and tonics.

Ms Housden-Brooks added: 'There was a wider group of about ten of us. We were laughing a joking and maybe being a bit loud - but no more than any other town centre bar on a Saturday evening.

'A woman working behind the bar came over a couple of times and kept telling us to keep the noise down.

'In the end she singled me out and told me I would have to leave because I was being too noisy.

'I told her I'd done nothing wrong and stood my ground. She didn't like it all and kept giving me evil looks from behind the bar, but I just ignored her.'

So you were causing a noise nuisance, were told to get out but didn't?

Ms Housden-Brooks says she left about fifteen minutes later to return home.

'I admit that I did have a couple of choice words for her as I left,' she said.

Ah!

'As I reached the door of the bar, my face exploded in pain. This bar worker was raining punches on me.

'I begged her to stop, but she just kept hitting me. It was over in minutes, but felt like a lifetime.'

And what were your friends doing during this? Or any of the other people in the bar?

Ms Housden-Brooks says she staggered into the street where a motorist took pity on her and drove her home.

She said: 'This guy saw me slumped in a heap against the wall. I'm so grateful to him. He said I should go to hospital but I just wanted to be with my family.'

So...your friends didn't step in to defend you. And didn't check you were OK to get home?

A spokesperson for The Venue Bar said: 'We've been advised by the police not to say anything.'

Yes. I bet you have...