A SECURITY guard feared for his life as a group of out-of-control teenage yobs jumped on the bonnet of his van, hurling what appears to be a concrete block at the windscreen.

The middle-aged man had just suffered a broken shoulder as he confronted the violent thugs and fell over as they attacked him in the street.

They smashed other windows in the van and dented the vehicle before running off.

Before smashing up the vehicle, the thugs had stolen the victim's keys and hurled them into a hedge so he couldn't drive away. One of them also threatened to slit his throat with a knife.

The guard summoned help from a colleague, who rushed to the scene in another vehicle to rescue his workmate, driving off and leaving the van behind.

The victim, 52, was later treated in hospital, but was off work for a couple of months following the incident.

His van was written off.

He has since told his boss he is considering his future - and how his wife and children are worried every time he leaves for work.

Ron Blake, of Walford Security, where the victim works, said the security guard, a former captain of police in his native South Africa, had gone to investigate after an alarm was activated at Bishop Fox's School, in Taunton.

He discovered vandals had broken into and trashed the school library, tipping over shelves and leaving books scattered over the floor.

When the guard spotted four boys he suspected of carrying out the burglary leaving the school, he approached them, Mr Blake said.

"They were on the public highway outside the school gates," he said.

"They set about the security guard and repeatedly punched him.

"He broke his shoulder when he fell over on the kerb."

The injured man attempted to retreat to his van, at which point a group started shouting at him and attacking the vehicle as the victim called for assistance.

The police say they are treating the incident - which took place at around 9pm on Friday, April 12 - as "a racially aggravated assault".

Mr Blake added: "They obviously didn't recognise his South African accent and told him to go back to Poland.

"As well as putting him in hospital they completely trashed his company van, written off, breaking every bit of glass and denting all the panels."

Footage of the vicious attack was recorded on the van's dashcam and handed to police following the incident.

Police have issued images of two people they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.

A force spokesman said nobody has so far been arrested.

If you can help, call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5219080152, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.