German politician Alexander Kebeck 'attacked by coven of carnival witches' in horned devil masks who 'broke his ribs'

Alexander Kebeck, who is a mayoral candidate for the southern German town of Loßburg, claims he was left with broken ribs after the attack in the Black Forest region. The 43-year-old had been attending a local carnival in the area and was making his way home when he encountered the coven of 'witches'.

Speaking with German tabloid Bild, Mr Kebeck claimed that the group of six witches 'jumped from behind and hit me in the back, brutally knocking me to the ground'. The local politician alleges that the group were donning costumes belonging to a local association of witches known as the Heimbach-Hexa.

However, the group strongly denies any involvement in the attack. Members of the group dress in hoods, leather aprons, dark stockings and horned devil masks, with Mr Kebeck alleging his attacks wore all these distinctive items apart from the masks.

According to German news outlet Merkur, the group of witches have vowed to fully support authorities in their investigation into the incident. The group is based off the local legend of the Heimbach Witch, a tale dating back over 500 years to 1488.

Local folklore claims that a number of raftsmen vanished along a journey down the Heimbach river, after they apparently encountered two magic-worshipping sisters on the riverbank. A German police spokesman also confirmed that the force was 'investigating suspicion of bodily harm committed by unknown suspects'.