A man punched and kicked a toilet attendant in an unprovoked attack on Hove seafront.
The 46-year-old victim was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where he was treated for his injuries then discharged.
He was attacked while working at the public toilets on the Western Esplanade in Hove next to the bowling green.
He saw a couple in the ladies toilet area and when he asked them what they were doing the man kicked his leg several times and punched him in the stomach.
The couple then left.
Officers from Sussex Police found two bus tickets at the scene and, with help from Brighton and Hove Buses, traced a CCTV image of the couple boarding a bus the day before.
The suspect was described as a white man in his mid thirties, about 5ft 8in tall, of medium build and with ginger hair.
He was wearing a medium-length dark waterproof coat at the time of the assault.
The woman was described as being of South East Asian or Chinese appearance, about 5ft 6in tall, with dark fair shoulder-length hair which was worn in a bun on the day of the attack.
She was wearing a long cream jacket at the time of the attack.
PC Natasha Swan said: “We don’t know exactly what the couple were up to but they clearly had no good reason for being there and this was a nasty attack on someone just doing his job.”
The attack took place at about 8am on Monday 17 January.
Anyone who can identify the suspect or the woman with him is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.