DETECTIVES have urged the driver of a mobility scooter to hand himself in after he mowed down a pensioner before repeatedly driving over him.

The 67-year-old victim who was walking with the aid of a stick, was hit at speed by the scooter in what police are calling ‘a deliberate act’.

Horrified diners watched as the driver of the scooter struck the pensioner from behind and then ran over him again crushing the victim under the wheels.

According to witnesses the driver was only stopped from continuing the assault by a customer in a nearby ice cream parlour who intervened.

Several passers-by came to the aid of the man who was lying in agony on the ground whilst others called the police and paramedics.

The driver of the scooter rode away before the police arrived, prompting an appeal by detectives for him to be found.

The victim remained in hospital last night after suffering a broken knee and ankle as a result of the attack that happened between 3.30pm and 5pm on Monday on Portswood Road in Southampton.

One line of inquiry was that there had been an earlier incident which resulted in the ‘pavement rage’ attack.

Det Cons Dal Andrews said: “According to the victim there was no provocation for the attack at all, however we do have some unconfirmed reports of an earlier incident involving a man on a mobility scooter and a pedestrian.

"We would therefore urge anyone who saw the incident itself or who can help with any events that may have led to the assault to come forward.

“Something like this is rare and we do think that this man was deliberately driven at. We don’t know for sure but it could have been that it was some sort of pavement rage incident after an earlier exchange.”

She was unable to estimate the speed of the scooter when it struck the pensioner but said one witness described it as looking like it was “out of control” due to the speed at which it was travelling.

The victim has told police how he had no idea why he was targeted and that the first he knew of it was when he knocked to the ground.

Tristan Bunyan, 22, was working at Scoops ice cream parlour when the drama unfolded outside. He told the Daily Echo: “I heard some of our customers shouting that a man needed help and when I looked I saw the guy lying on the ground, he was concious but he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

“One of our customers was really good in helping the man and trying to sort of comfort him whilst the paramedics were on their way. It was really was quite shocking that someone would do something like that deliberately.”

The scooter driver was described as white, aged in his mid to late 70s, around 5ft 9ins, with short grey hair, clean shaven and of slim build.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC Andrews at Southampton police station by calling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.