Police are looking into an attack when a former male model from East London was beaten up and left needing hospital treatment after the unprovoked homophobic attack.

Chas Andersen, a 20-year-old from Bethnal Green, was abused and punched as he tried to use a cash machine at Clapham in south London over the Bank Holiday weekend.

He appeared to get involved in an argument with a group of men over the shorts he was wearing when he was knocked to the ground.

Fashion stylist Mike Adler, a friend who was with him, tried stop the attack when accomplices prevented him.

“He was standing up for himself and I was standing up for him,” said his friend. “The man just switched from yelling to becoming violent.”

Mr Andersen, who worked with the Oxygen modelling agency, needed hospital treatment for an eye injury, but has been told he will not suffer any permanent damage.

Scotland Yard confirmed today that Sunday’s attack had been reported to police.