POLICE are hunting a vicious thug dressed in an orange poncho and a black wig who bit off part of a reveller’s ear in an horrific Hallowe’en night attack in Aberystwyth.

The victim was hospitalised after suffering what police said was a serious injury to his ear in an incident at the Academy pub (pictured) on Upper Great Darkgate Street at around 11.25pm.

Detectives investigating the assault said it was “vicious and unprovoked” and are asking the public for information so that they can find the culprit who is “currently at large”.

The suspect was described as being a white male, aged about 20, wearing an orange poncho and a black wig. He is believed to have been in the company of at least three females during the evening. One of the women is described as wearing a white dress. Another was wearing a nurse’s uniform along with a mask and the other female was wearing a black dress.

It is not known if the victim was in fancy dress.

According to reports, there was fighting and an “aggressive vibe” all over town on Hallowe’en night.

Coleg Ceredigion student Victoria Elizabeth Evans, 37, who was on a night out with her sister and her sister’s daughter, said: “I didn’t see any fights at the top of town but there were fights everywhere — pubs were packed out and everyone was pushing and fighting for the bar. It was a very rough night.

“It was the first night I had been out in years and on every street there was a fight.

“We thought it would be a good night out, but the vibe was very aggressive in town.

“Everyone was out of control — there were queues everywhere and fights breaking out. The streets were not patrolled properly.”

Following the violence, an Aberystwyth councillor has called again for the reintroduction of the town’s CCTV cameras which were switched off in April last year.