A PAIR of friends have spoken of their shock at a random attack which saw them both injured by a drunk man wielding a metal dog lead.
James Clarke, of Ripley, suffered cuts to his head and a black eye after being hit in the face by the man in a random attack.
His friend, Lewis Judd, of Eastwood, had to be treated for bruises to his stomach after being hit twice with the lead.
The pair, both 21 and friends who studied together at Nottingham Trent University, had been dropped off in the middle of Ripley after a night out together in Derby city centre.
Mr Judd, of Devonshire Drive, said: "We just started walking down Chapel Street towards James' house when we saw this man.
"He was clearly intoxicated and was shouting because his dog was off its lead.
"We put our heads down and carried on walking and next thing we know he was standing next to us and swung the metal dog lead at us, hitting James in the face and the head.
"I tried to help but he hit me with the lead twice in the stomach.
"It was all a bit surreal really but we are two young and relatively fit lads so it would have been far worse if the victims had been elderly."
Mr Judd, who has just finished studying biochemistry, said the pair ran back to Mr Clarke's house, where they woke his parents.
They immediately rang 999, concerned that their son and his friend were OK.
Mr Judd said: "James' shoulders had blood all over them from where he had cut his head after being hit by the metal lead.
"Thankfully he was OK. I have no idea why this man targeted us.
"Neither of us had ever seen him before and I don't think he knew us.
"I think it was just a case of us being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Derbyshire police say they are investigating the assault, which happened between 3.15am and 3.35am on Sunday, August 26.
They have taken statements from Mr Clarke, who is about to enter his final year studying microbiology, and Mr Judd and have conducted house to house inquiries.
Officers are now studying CCTV footage from the area in a bid to track down the man.
A Derbyshire police spokesman said the man they were looking for is white, in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5ft 9ins tall and with a shaved head.
He was wearing white tracksuit bottoms and his dog was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dog.
The police spokesman said: "This is seemingly a random attack that has left two men injured – one with head injuries and another with injuries to his stomach."
Anyone with information should call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.