A MAN was attacked and knocked unconscious while on a night out in York with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Alan Shaw, 41, has had his jaw wired shut as a result of the attack in Tanner Row in the early hours of Sunday. It means he will not be able to eat solid food or to talk properly until the New Year.

Mr Shaw and his wife, Louise, 37, of Pottery Lane, had been out for a meal and to Flares nightclub to mark their 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday before going into Salt And Pepper takeaway to wait for a taxi at about 12.45am on Sunday.

An argument broke out between a group at the takeaway and food was thrown, some hitting Mrs Shaw, she said.

But when Mr and Mrs Shaw left the takeaway, a man who is thought to have been in the group, walked up to Mr Shaw and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious for about 30 seconds, Mrs Shaw said.

Police, who had been alerted to the incident by CCTV, arrested a man and took Mr Shaw to the police station before taking him on to the hospital as he appeared to have concussion, she added.

After ten hours in accident and emergency at York Hospital, plasterer Mr Shaw’s fractured jaw was wired shut and he has been told it will need to remain so for at least a month, meaning he can only eat with a straw.

Mrs Shaw said: “We go into town on a Saturday night and normally go to Flares and get a taxi home. We never have any trouble. We work all week and enjoy Saturday night, but now I don’t feel like I want to go out. We are thinking now on Christmas. What are we going to do? We can’t go out for Christmas work meals. It’s my daughter’s birthday on Boxing Day and we always take her for a meal and can’t do that. The day after we normally take her to Butlins so we won’t be able to do that.”

Mrs Shaw said she had been especially disappointed people from local businesses did not intervene.

A police spokesman said a 22-year-old man from Grimsby was arrested on suspicion of using threatening words and behaviour following the incident. He was released on bail.