Two masked youths attacked a man as he walked home from the gym in the fourth violent attack in the area in just six days.

The victim, was punched to the ground and suffered cuts, a black eye and suspected broken arm in the unprovoked assault at the Great Lines Heritage Park in Gillingham.

They demanded he hand over his backpack and fled on foot with its contents - an empty water bottle.

The 23-year-old old, who does not want to be named, has Asperger's syndrome and ADHD.

Fortunately, he had left his wallet at home and his keys and mobile phone were in his pocket when the attackers struck in an isolated area on Lower Lines at about 7pm last Thursday.

Dazed and shocked, he made his way to the family home just minutes away where he called the police.

He said: "I could hear them run up from behind and they grabbed my arm. It has made me feel paranoid."

A police spokesman said: "Officers have carried out inquiries, including reviewing CCTV, but no suspects have been identified. Should further information come to light then the report will be reviewed."

His mother told KentOnline that her son had been going to Medway Park sports centre in Mill Road, Gillingham regularly to work out for the last two months to build up his confidence.

She said: "He suffers from mental health issues and was doing really well at the gym. They asked his name and when he didn't give it one of them punched him on the head.

"He fell to the ground and got back up again. They smashed his glasses so his vision was impaired.

"He thought they were wearing balaclavas and he said they had chavvy accents."

The mum-of-two said it happened at the same spot that her teenage daughter was "followed by a man" on her way back from school in broad daylight. The 16-year-old went to the police station and reported the incident which was about four months ago.

She said: "This is obviously a hot spot. Perhaps there should be more CCTV. We want to make people aware of the dangers.

"What is happening to this place? There was a stabbing in the High Street the same day."

It was the fourth serious attack reported in Gillingham in six days, including a stabbing which left a 17-year-old in a serious condition in hospital.

Two teenagers have been remanded in custody following the incident outside Wilko on the High Street. Both appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday and were remanded in youth detention until the next hearing on March 20.

Another boy was allegedly threatened with a "bladed weapon" and robbed of his phone by balaclava-wearing teenagers in Great Lines last week.

Finally, a man had to be taken to hospital after being smashed in the back of his head with a brick.

The victim was outside a betting shop in Gillingham when he was approached by another man who then assaulted him with the building block.

The string of attacks is a concern for local residents and has been described as a "long term frustration" by a local councillor.

Councillor Naushabah Khan who's ward is Gillingham South said: "These cases have raised safety concerns for that part of Gillingham. It’s something residents have spoken out about on their doorstep and it’s something that as Gillingham councillors we’re really concerned.

"This is part of a long-term frustration that we have around safety within that area, both in the Great Lines and in the High Street.

"I think things like better lighting, CCTV, and making that part of Gillingham more welcoming would make a big difference.

"I know the police are aware of some of the issues across Gillingham and we’ve raised with them as councillors on a regular basis.

"We are also very aware that police have faced their own funding cuts in recent years so there are a few challenges around where they can put resources.

"Ultimately we recognise that this is part of a broader issue, so it doesn't just fall with one particular agency. It does need to be approached across agencies with the council and the police and others and the community working together.

"I don't think it's really up to the public to make Great Lines more safe. We're working together to identify what the problems are, what could work or not."

Her concerns were echoed by the security guard who rushed to the scene to help the victim of the stabbing.

Matthew Smirthwaite, 40, was working in Gillingham High Street when he saw the attack on the teenager and rushed to his aid.

Speaking the morning after, Mr Smirthwaite said: "There's too many people walking around in this high street pretending to be in gangs, acting all big and hard because they're with a bunch of mates.

"It needs to stop and they need to grow up, it's not worth going around with weapons trying to kill each other, just grow up, live your life.

"That young lad, from what I've been told, is not going to be able to use his arm, not properly anyway. What was the point? He was lucky that I was literally at work, I was supposed to be my day off and I'm a first aider as well. So if it wasn't for me, he would have lost his life.

"It is getting worse, I thought Chatham was bad but as soon as I started working here I've realised Gillingham is worse.

"The government needs to give more power to the police to stop this happening, or if not stop it, minimise it so it becomes a rare occurrence not a regular occurence. Any powers that they need to stop it.

"With the government doing the tax cuts to the police force, they're understaffed."

Ch Insp Trevor Jenner, District Commander for Medway said: "Officers are actively investigating these incidents and have identified a number of potential offenders. Our inquiries remain ongoing. We understand that they may cause concern in the community but I want to reassure residents that officers remain dedicated to preventing crime and will continue to provide a visible police presence across the district.

"In order to keep communities safe we target offenders in a number of ways to ensure they are arrested and brought to justice and we work proactively using tools such as knife arches and dispersal orders to enhance public safety and deter offenders when required to do so.

"Officers and staff regularly patrol in Gillingham and across the district, in both uniform and plain clothes, and are able to swiftly respond to incidents when required to do so.

"Our dedicated County Lines and Gangs Team works across the county to disrupt the supply of Class A drugs and crack down on the criminal groups responsible and we work closely with partner agencies in the Medway Taskforce in order to ensure we tackle crime, prevent violence and safeguard the most vulnerable in the community.

"I would urge anyone who has concerns about crime in their area, to make a report via our website. If a crime is in progress, always dial 999."