AN ENGINEER who was beaten and robbed on a busy road has described the terrifying ordeal for the first time.

Paul Hawkins, 33, was connecting phone lines next to Manor Road in Woodstock on Thursday when he was viciously attacked by two or three men.

The robbers kicked and stamped on him before stealing money from his wallet and running away, leaving him by the roadside.

Police believe several motorists drove past during the attack, but nobody stopped to help.

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Mr Hawkins tried to return to work on Monday but is taking a week off due to his injuries, which will hit the telephone engineer hard.

He said: “I’m self-employed, so I need to earn money somehow.

Oxford Mail:

“The company has agreed to pay me a small amount but I’m not earning what I was.

“I’ve got bills to pay, a mortgage, everything.”

Mr Hawkins was connecting a resident’s phone line near the entrance of Vermont Drive at about 11.40am on Thursday when the robbers struck.

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He said: “I was trying to find the right connection and the next thing I knew I was shoved from my right side and stamped on.

“The whole ordeal must have lasted two to three minutes. All I could do was cover my head and face.

“As I was being kicked, I felt someone feel around my pockets and they took my wallet. I was still being kicked when my wallet was taken and a few seconds after they ran up the road.

“I got to my van, locked the door and phoned the police.”

Oxford Mail:

One attacker is described as white, about 5ft 6in tall, with an average build. He was wearing a long-sleeved top and had short dark hair.

The second man is also white with dark hair, around 6ft, with a slimmer build and was wearing a T-shirt.

One was wearing Nike Air Max trainers and the other was wearing two-tone navy Nike trainers.

Up to 15,000 vehicles drive through Woodstock every day and police are appealing for dash cam footage.

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Mr Hawkins said: "I heard cars coming by but my main thought was to protect myself.

"I would have tried to help but some people might have been worried about their own safety."

The victim suffered bruising to his back and ribs and a swollen knee, but managed half a day at work on Monday until the pain became too much.

Mr Hawkins revealed his first day back at work since the attack meant the ordeal played on his mind

He said: "I was a bit more wary and kept an eye out.

"If people walked past I tried to keep my wits about me."

Mr Hawkins is now recovering at home outside Oxfordshire, where he lives with partner Vicki.

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It is the latest worrying attack in West Oxfordshire, which saw 1,437 violent crimes recorded in 2018 alone - 67.7 per cent more than in 2016.

A surge in crime has hit Witney in recent months, including a gang of teenage boys attacking a 66-year-old jogger on Mill Street.

Julian Cooper, district councillor for Woodstock and Bladon, said: "It's very worrying when it comes so close to home.

"We're quite lucky to live in a relatively low crime area, but we want the investment in police."

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses and is asking anyone with information to get in contact.

Call 101, quoting the reference 43190063260, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.