A BAR owner has insisted Colchester town centre is a safe place to visit in the wake of a brutal attack where volunteer police officers were headbutted, kicked and stamped on.

Essex Police have launched an investigation after the special constables were set upon in the High Street early on Sunday morning.

Osman Rasih, who owns Silk Road in Queen Street and is vice chairman of the Colchester Pub Watch group, insisted the area was safe.

He said: "In my 11 years in Colchester I have never seen this kind of aggression against police officers.

"These kind of individuals will not be allowed into any of our night time venues for the foreseeable future and this will also go for anyone else that feels they can come into the town centre and commit any type of crime.

"Colchester town centre has some of the most amazing bars and restaurants.

"We have a council clearly prepared to work hard and invest into making it a great destination so we just need to filter out what I see as a very small minority."

Mr Rasih paid tribute to the officers who give up their own time to help the police.

He said: "All of the other night time venues I have spoken and I'm sure the ones I have not been able to talk to yet are totally disgusted as to what has happened to these volunteer officers who go out of their way to help this community in their own time.

"They do a great job and should be treated with respect alongside all officers who are out there doing a great job considering the shortages we have had due to government cutbacks."

Castle ward councillor Darius Laws has called for people convicted of the attack to be barred from all licensed premises.

Mr Rasih backed that plan and wanted people to be barred from the town centre all together.

He said Pub Watch venues, Colchester Council and Essex Police - particularly Chief Insp Shaun Kane - were committed to working together to make the town safe.

"The public need to be a assured that this partnership will achieve this and we ask them to support us," he said.

"Anybody who feels there is a situation in the town that could potentially cause an issue can approach any of the managers or security at venues if there are no officers around in strict confidence and the police will be notified straight away.

"I feel very strongly this kind of behaviour cannot be allowed to be repeated and that these individuals that think its ok to go out and assault police officers or even anyone else within the public need to know they not be tolerated by anyone in Colchester."

Four people have been arrested after the attack. Three are on bail until next month and one has been released without charge.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.