A drunken thug left a 63-year-old cyclist with a broken nose in an unprovoked attack with a glass bottle in Deal yesterday evening.

The onslaught was broken up when neighbours intervened.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the man was taken to hospital following the assault at 7.35pm in Gilford Road.

The victim had been cycling when he noticed two young men, apparently drunk, walking towards the seafront.

One of the men threw a glass bottle and started shouting and swearing at him.

The victim tried to cycle away but his attacker chased him and started hitting him around the face and back of the head with another bottle.

As neighbours came out to help the victim, the attacker ran off towards the seafront.

The man he was with came back and apologised for his friend’s behaviour.

Police would urgently like to speak to both men.

The suspect is described as white, in his early 20s, 5ft9in, slim with short brown hair, which was possibly curly.

He was wearing a grey tracksuit.

Police would also like to hear from any off-licences or shops that sold bottles of alcohol to two young men on Thursday evening.

Detective Inspector Emma Banks said: “This was an unprovoked assault on a man innocently going about his business in Deal.

“Incidents of this nature are rare and violence of any form will not be tolerated. My officers have carried out house to house enquiries and are following a number of lines of enquiry.

“I would ask anyone who thinks they might know the offender or his friend to contact us as soon as possible, as we urgently need to speak to these men.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Ron Smith on 101. Information can be supplied anonymously to Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.