THE victim of a vicious assault today told how he feared for his life as punches rained down on him.

Former boxer Peter Bouvier described the scene as like "something out of a horror film" as he watched one of his four attackers slipping on a knuckleduster before beating him nearly senseless.

The 26-year-old, who was left needing 12 stitches to face and head wounds, had only moved to Southampton a month ago to be with his girlfriend. Now he says the city will always remind him of the attack.

"I was knocked to the floor and I was fearing for my life. I was covered in blood," said Peter.

"The hospital staff told me they were surprised my skull had not been fractured."

Mr Bouvier was walking home on Monday night when he was assaulted. At 11pm he turned into the bottom of Shirley Road at the roundabout junction with Commercial Road, in Southampton, to be confronted by four youths who demanded his mobile phone, his jacket and cash.

But Mr Bouvier, who works for a toy car manufacturer in Portswood, only had £2 and a "cheap" mobile on him and when he tried to escape the yobs set upon him with a knuckleduster.

He said: "I feel sorry for my mate who I was on the phone to when I was attacked. He must have thought I had been stabbed.

"The attack must have lasted about three minutes but I didn't realise what state I was in when it was all over. I was just so angry that they had attacked me."

A passing family who stopped when they saw the incident brought the assault to a halt and scared off the yobs by sounding their horn.

Mr Bouvier said: "I cannot express how grateful I am to the family who stopped. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't? "They called an ambulance and I was able to phone my girlfriend to tell her what had happened.

"There were cars passing the whole time but I don't blame them for not stopping."

What police have described as an "extremely vicious" attack has not stopped Peter in his track and today he returned to work.

He said: "It's just one of those things.

"Part of me feels sorry that someone could be reduced to doing this to me but I want to see them locked up.

"Southampton is now always going to remind me of the attack."

The attackers are described as white, about 18 years old and were wearing light-coloured clothing and baseball caps.

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the attack in a passing car is urged to contact DC Tim Plummer at Shirley CID on 0845 045 4545.