Last night, Friday 12th August, American comic Chris Coxen was set upon by a gang in Edinburgh. The apparently un-provoked attack has left the comic badly bruised, and sporting two black eyes.

Chris Coxen (pictured), best known in the USA for appearing on Last Comic Standing, is appearing at the festival for the first time, performing a show at Cabaret Voltaire called Space Clone Audition. Coxen plays various characters in the hour, with the audience then voting which should be cloned to populate space.

Imran Yusuf, one of the nominees in the 'Best Newcomer' category at last year's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, is sharing a flat with Coxen this festival. Yusuf posted a report of the incident on his blog at 4am this morning, saying:

"I've just got back to my flat from a late night double deep fried Mars bar experience to find my flatmate and American comic Chris Coxen with two black eyes after being attacked by a gang of 5-7 feral cunts."

He added: "I'm sharing a flat with Chris, one of the nicest guys I've ever met, a true hard working gentlemen who came to the UK to pursue his dream to showcase his talents as a character comedian. This is his first full run at the Edinburgh Festival. He's put incredible effort, financial investment and made personal sacrifices to get here all the way from his home in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. And now his festival experience has been blighted by such an act of unwarranted violence. If you're in Edinburgh, it'd cheer him up if you check out his show; Chris Coxen's Space Clone Audition, Cabaret Voltaire @ 2:30pm. However, with his eye swollen up, he might not be around performing tomorrow."

This is not the first attack on a comic at the 2011 Fringe. In a separate un-connected incident, young comic Mark Simmons, a finalist in the 2009 So You Think Your Funny? competition, was mugged, and his phone and money taken.

Imran Yusuf comments on his website: "In the four full festivals I have done, I have never heard of such violence, although a few years ago I once saw a violent drunkard get battered by security in Bristo Square after he punched fellow comic Paul McCaffrey for no reason."

"Due to the wanton procreation and perpetuation of feral humanoids whose only manifesto is to destroy, this festival has been blighted for at least a couple of people whose enjoyment and efforts has been ruined by the predatory behaviour of a bunch of animals. If you're at the Edinburgh Festival, please beware during the late nights and be ready should any shithead try to attack you. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, and the good guys will prevail..."

Yusuf has posted up a picture of Coxen after the attack