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A homeless man punched repeatedly in a vicious attack caught on camera has described the abuse he faces on a daily basis.

Darren Beckham, 34, has been sleeping rough for six months and has become used to regular taunts and harassment from passers-by.

But last week it went further when a man was filmed pinning him to the pavement and repeatedly punching him in broad daylight.

Darren said his attacker was clearly disgusted that he was living on the streets.

The argument started over his treatment of a baby seagull which he had rescued, but quickly escalated when the two strangers realised he was homeless.

Darren threw the first punch, but was then overpowered by his assailant who was much biggger.

He said: “I’m eight stone wet through and they were just having a go at me. I don’t think it had anything to do with the bird, it was because I’m homeless. You wouldn’t believe the abuse you get on the streets.

“The men could have just talked to me but instead they were calling me a tramp, telling me: 'You wanna get a job'.”

The brawl, which broke out in Bigg Market in Newcastle last Thursday, was captured on video.

The footage has been passed to Northumbria Police, who are looking for the two men involved.

The row is supposed to have broken out over Darren’s treatment of a baby seagull, which he had picked up moments earlier.

Darren said: “It was injured and I kept hold of it. I thought if I let it go, it would fly but it didn’t and it looked like I’d dropped it and it all just kicked off from there.

“If I’d seen the same thing, I would have said the same as them but they could have just said to me, ‘You don’t need to do that’. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I had injured that bird.

“I could have done without [the fight]. I spoke to them first. They just got either side of us. His mate kicks us in the head, I don’t know if I’ve still got a lump.

“I told people about it and they’ve said to me it’s rubbish when I said I’d been jumped by a couple of men."

Darren, who is from Consett, Co Durham, but sleeps under the Tyne Bridge most nights, added: “I like the Bigg Market. It’s the only place I can sit without being accused of begging."

The former engineer and security worker said he hasn’t been able to hold down a job for a number of years.

He started living rough after he and his girlfriend split up at Christmas.

He told the Newcastle Chronicle: “You just couldn’t believe the abuse we get.

"I was with a mate the other day in a bike shop and straight away security come over and say ‘can I have a word’ and he said ‘you’re bad for the customers’."