THUGS used Champagne bottles to attack three clubbers at Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park.

Two of the victims were left needing several stitches to head wounds following the incident at the Envy nightclub. Another woman was also hurt, but not as seriously, in the attack.

One of the male victims, a 24- year-old from Laindon, told the Echo he would never visit the nightspot again after being left with a gaping cut to his head.

He said: “I had a massive hole in my head, I could literally touch my skull.

“I suppose I’m lucky my injuries weren’t worse and my skull wasn’t fractured, but I will never go to that club again.”

The man, who does not wish to be named, had been enjoying a night out with his pals at the popular nightspot when trouble broke out on the dancefloor.

A girl, dancing near him, had pushed away a man who had tried to grope her. But instead of walking away, the man instead “jabbed” the woman in the head with a bottle. The 24-year-old instantly rushed to the woman’s aid and pushed away the thug.

He said: “Before I knew it I was laying on the floor.

“I can only think that one of this guy’s friends must have bottled me from behind and it must have been a Champagne bottle, as they are the only glass bottles you can buy in the club.

“I was just lying there, I didn’t know what had happened but I knew I was hurt.”

As he lay on the ground the he recalled how the man, who had hit the girl, then tried to attack him as he lay helpless.

Another clubber, also a man, stepped in to help the victm and found himself being bottled by the thug and his pals too.

The victim said: “Before I knew it I was being taken to Basildon Hospital. I saw the other guy who tried to help me in A&E and he had to have stiches from just under his hairline and all the way down his forehead.”

Both men have now reported the attack, which happened at around 3am on Sunday, to police.

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed an investigation is now under way.

A spokesman for Liquid & Envy Basildon said: “The safety and enjoyment of our customers is always our main priority.

“We will be co-operating fully with any police investigation.”

A spokeswoman for Luminar Leisure said as far as the club staff were concerned no bottle had been used in the attack.