A Southampton man was beaten unconscious and left for dead while coming home from his local pub where he had been celebrating his birthday.

A gang of four men and women are believed to have attacked Kyle Donnelly from behind and battered him around the head leaving him with a brain haemorrhage, a fractured skull and cuts and bruises.

They then argued about whether they should phone for an ambulance before running off.

Kyle was also kicked and stamped on during what police have called an “unprovoked and vicious assault.”

The attack on the 23-year-old and two friends happened just minutes from his Sholing home after a night out at The Miller’s Pond. He was rushed to Southampton General Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

From his hospital bed he told the Daily Echo: “I’ve walked that way home a number of times.

“I’d like to ask the offenders ‘why’?

There was no need for it, it was completely unprovoked. The injuries could have been much more serious for all of us, I feel lucky to have escaped with what I’ve got.

“I’m glad that no knives were used. I don’t know what’s wrong with people these days.”

Kyle’s mum Karen got a call from police in the early hours of the morning.

She said: “It is every mother’s nightmare to get a call like this in the middle of the night.

“I raced to the hospital to check he was OK. When I arrived all three of them were covered in blood and Kyle had a huge lump on his head and didn’t seem to know what was going on.”

Kyle is expected to be released from hospital later this week but may need time off his job in the building industry.

He only got a good look at one of his attackers who was wearing a white England football T-shirt.

He is described as white, slim, aged between 18 and 25, 6ft tall with short ginger hair.

It is thought the group argued about whether they should call an ambulance before they all walked off.

The attack in Middle Road, Sholing, took place just after midnight on Saturday.

Daniel Fussell, acting detective inspector, said: “This is clearly a vicious and unprovoked assault that could so easily have been much worse.

“I would urge anyone who saw anything or knows the identity of the people involved to come forward.”

Anyone with information should contact Shirley CID on 0845 045 4545.