A PICTURE has been released of a man police suspect of carrying out an unprovoked assault on a young supermarket staff member.

A-Level student Jonathan Kubiak, was just finishing his part-time shift at Waitrose, in Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, when he was set upon by an unknown assailant.

Jonathan, 18, of Chestnut Avenue, Buckhurst Hill, said: “I had just finished my shift and I went into the staff staircase to go upstairs. There's a fire escape there which someone had left open, and this person was standing by the staircase. I didn't think anything of it at the time, I thought he was just waiting for someone from work.

“As I walked round the side he pinned me against the wall, threw me down on the floor and started punching and kicking me. He said I'd been staring at him.

“He wasn't drunk or anything but I assume he was either on drugs or he had mental health issues. He had a kid with him who looked about two-years-old.

“Eventually his friend from outside came in and pulled him off me and took him out the door.”

Jonathan has recently been studying for his A-Level examinations but said he hadn't let the incident affect him.

“Luckily I wasn't injured,” he said. “I don't bruise easily or the police said it would have been ABH. I was shocked more than anything. I didn't expect that to happen.

“There was a big trolley of goods left there and my boss thinks perhaps he was thinking of stealing it. He didn't take anything off me and he could have done if he wanted.

“Personally, I think he was waiting for a member of staff from the till who could have had a cash bag to come by, but what his actual motivation was we'll never know.”

The incident took place between 7.10pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, May 22.

Anyone with information is asked to call PC Marie Mendoza at Loughton Police Station on 0300 333 4444 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.