Mark Horvath, 26, has told how a complete stranger rained kicks and punches down on him before leaving him in a pool of blood on the pavement in Westgate, Leyland.

The warehouse worker was returning from a night shift at delivery giant TNT on the nearby Moss Side Industrial Estate at 1.30am on Wednesday when the vicious assault took place.

He has returned to his home in the town centre having had his eyebrow glued back to his face, stitches along his lip and badly-bruised ribs.

He said: "I just remember lying on the floor thinking 'when is he going to lay off?'

"All I could think was to cover my head up - broken bones can heal but if he kicked me in the head I could be brain-damaged.

"I did not have time to think anything else but since then I have thought what would have happened if I was an old man, I would not be here today I am sure.

"I just hope someone who knows about this comes forward and turns this bloke in before he does something to someone else."

As he lay bleeding on the pavement, the offender stole his black, grey and white Raleigh mountain bike and his navy blue rucksack with his personal belongings.

After regaining consciousness, Mr Horvath was able to make his way home but collapsed where a member of the public found him and called the police and an ambulance.

He said the attack which has left his face badly-bruised and swollen would not put him off attending his formal interview for the RAF early next month.

Det Con Kelly Rosenthal of Leyland Police said the incident was 'an extremely vicious, unprovoked and meaningless attack'.

The attacker is described as a white man with cropped fair hair in his late 20s. He was around 6ft tall and wearing dark clothing.

* Anyone with information should call Leyland CID on 01772 415844 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.