Takeaway delivery drivers have spoken of the abuse they face on a daily basis - with one claiming he has been hit by cars four times while on his rounds.

Couriers employed by companies including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat in Canterbury report being driven off the road "for sport" and facing verbal abuse from restaurant staff.

Steve Brooks, 64, who works for Deliveroo, told KentOnline of his harrowing experience on the city's streets.

“Drivers try to force me off the road or even play chicken with me," he said.

“I’ve been hit by a car four times doing this job. Once on Wincheap roundabout and another time it was on Palace Street.

“Cars overtake me dangerously every other day. It happens all the time, they get so close.”

Mr Brooks says he feels drivers are intentionally targeting him as a takeaway courier.

Earlier this year, a delivery driver was attacked by a gang while waiting in his car outside a takeaway in Sturry Road.

The victim suffered a wound to his arm in the late-night assault in June.

Two people were arrested but later released without charge.

Another courier, Bilal Habibi, 18, says he has come to expect both verbal and physical abuse from passersby when he sets off on a shift.

“It happens all the time," he said. "If I'm working in the evening on the high street, they will slap me on the helmet as I go past.

“They shout things at me, things like ‘you are like a dog, you work like a dog’.”

KentOnline has also been told about incidents of delivery riders' bikes being maliciously pushed to the ground and restaurant workers swearing and screaming at riders when they attempt to pick up deliveries.

These kinds of incidents are familiar to 17-year-old Amin Ullah, who also works for Deliveroo.

Mr Ullah, who declined to have his photo taken for fear of reprisals, said: “They think we are very low people - they don’t respect us.”

He says in his short time as a delivery rider, he has been told to “go home” by a restaurant manager and had his bike stolen while collecting an order.

The teenager says he feels Deliveroo is not willing to help, but the company says extensive measures are taken to ensure riders' safety.

A spokesman said: “Riders are at the very heart of our business and their safety and wellbeing is our absolute priority.

“We take every step to ensure they feel safe on the roads and we have a dedicated Rider Engagement team in place, as well as a support phone line so we can assist our riders and make sure they feel supported at all times.”

A spokesman for Uber Eats added: “The safety of couriers who use the Uber Eats app is a top priority – any abuse directed at couriers is against our Community Guidelines and absolutely won’t be tolerated.

“We also have a dedicated team that works with law enforcement in response to criminal complaints.”

Deliveroo, which allows customers to order food from participating restaurants across the city to their homes, arrived in Canterbury back in 2016.

While the service - along with that provided by other delivery firms - has proved popular, it hasn't been without controversy.

In December, a bid was launched to ban couriers from riding motorcycles or mopeds along the high street amid dozens of complaints from residents and fears there could be a "nasty accident".

There were also calls for riders to be required to wear “clear identification” to ensure anyone riding dangerously could be fined or hauled in front of magistrates.