A YOUNG woman left with serious facial injuries after being attacked with a knuckleduster has criticised police after a suspect walked free.

Chloe Dutton, 19, and her family are unhappy about the police investigation into the attack, which happened in December.

This week, a man suspected of attacking Miss Dutton and her two friends as they left Talk nightclub in Southend was released without charge, leaving the police looking for more witnesses and potential suspects.

Miss Dutton claims the police had the wrong end of the stick from the start. When she attended an identity parade she says none of the men matched the description of the offender given by the girls.

She said: “I couldn’t identify him. They were all white in the line-up and the description we all gave was that he was Asian.

“I still don’t believe the police are taking it at all seriously.”

Miss Dutton suffered broken bones in her face and had to undergo surgery at Broomfields Hospital, Chelmsford, to insert plates to stabilise her eye socket.

She was also left badly scarred and with a loss of feeling in her cheek.

She has since recovered sufficiently to return to Kent University, where she is studying social work, but consultants have told her the paralysis in her face may be permanent.

Her grandmother, Carol Dutton, said: “She hasn’t got the feeling back in her face and a specialist has told her it might be permanent damage, but he said she would learn to live with it.

“Broomfields has done a fantastic job on Chloe’s face. I don’t think anyone will be able to see the scarring when it’s healed properly and a bit of make-up will cover it.

“She’s been out again with her friends because she didn’t want it to affect her life and she’s back at uni.

“But whoever did this is still out there. Girls these days never think something will happen to them, but they need to be very careful with this man still free.”

The man who carried out the attack, shortly after 2am on Saturday, December 27, was Asian, about 25 years old and wearing a black jacket, jeans and a grey hat.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Inquiries into this incident are vigorous and on-going.

Officers are making extensive inquiries into what happened.

“They would particularly like to speak to anyone who may have been in Bar Blue or in the areas of Lucy Road and the bus station.

“If anyone has any information about what happened, we would ask them to call Southend CID on 101 or ring Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

“If anyone is dissatisfied with the response from Essex Police, we would ask them to contact our Professional Standards Department and the matter will be investigated.”