A 21-year old man was left with blood pouring from his head after he was attacked in a busy Southampton street in daylight.

Officers are now trying to trace two men who approached the youngster and his friend and beat him up near the Pizza Hut restaurant in Bitterne Road.

Southampton City Councillor Sue Blatchford was there at the time and remembered seeing a number of people standing nearby as the young man was “kicked in the head by two men”.

They then ran off in the direction of Bitterne Leisure Centre leaving him with injuries to his face and head.

According to officers investigating the incident the two groups had a heated verbal dispute in public before the attack between 10am and noon on Friday, May 27.

Cllr Blatchford, who phoned for an ambulance that morning, said that it was staff in a nearby care home who treated the “poor lad” after the attack who was bleeding “profusely from his head”.

She added: “I’m not too sure as to why but there seemed to be some animosity between him and the two men but I don’t know want”

Now police are appealing for witnesses and would like to trace the two men involved.

The first man is described as white, in his early twenties, 6ft, slim build, short shaved hair and wearing a white t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms.

The second man was white, early twenties, 5ft 5, slim build, short shaved hair and wearing a dark blue Nike jacket and grey tracksuit bottoms.

PC Craig Shears from Bitterne Police Station said: “This assault has occurred on a Friday morning in a busy shopping precinct in Southampton. We believe a public, verbal dispute occurred prior to the assault which we believe passers-by would have witnessed.

“We are appealing to anyone who was in Bitterne precinct on Friday morning who saw this assault or witnessed the argument to contact us in confidence on 101 quoting 44160197976.”

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and leave information anonymously.