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A delivery worker claims he was punched in the face as a gang of around 20 teenagers tried to steal his bike.

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, said some of the youths were as young as 13 years old.

He was attacked on Saturday at around 9pm when he was delivering food for Deliveroo on his bicycle.

Police are investigating and said they were trying to trace the youths.

The 35-year-old had reached the junction between Station Terrace and Newport Road in Cardiff when the youths approached him.

He said some of them, all aged between around 13 and 15, were on mountain bikes and some had their faces covered with masks.

His wife said: “They tried to grab hold of his bike and force him off it. He pushed them away and tried to cycle through them but that failed.

“After he tried to push them away again a number of them started hitting him in the head and face to force him off his bike.

“He wasn’t sure how many were attacking him but there were fists flying everywhere and he was hit around nine or ten times in the head and face.

“Luckily a passerby came up and started pulling the young men off to try and help him get away which he was able to do.

“He kind of bolted and the boys with bikes chased after him but luckily he could outrun them quite easily.”

After he managed to get to safety, the cyclist stopped to call the police. Officers carried out a search but nothing was found.

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The cyclist’s wife said: “He had a few red marks on his face and I was concerned for him and said he should go to hospital but he said he didn’t want to.

“He’s just sort of frustrated. He says his cheekbone and jaw hurts but other than that he seems to be ok.”

She added: “They’re obviously targeting cyclists and I think in particular they are attacking delivery cyclists, maybe because they’re easier to spot.

“It has been an ongoing thing and whenever delivery cyclists have been attacked, it’s by a group of teenagers. They’re trying to gain force in numbers.

“It started off with some silly kids trying to be funny but now the problem has got worse. How bad does it have to get before it is taken seriously and something is done about it?”

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “A male reported that a number of youths had punched him and assaulted him.

“We spoke to witnesses, made an extensive search of the area. The male who had been assaulted did not need to attend hospital.

“Enquiries are ongoing and we are continuing to look to trace the youths.”

Dan Warne, managing director for Deliveroo UK and Ireland, said: "We will do everything we can to protect our riders and have put in place new measures so that riders can report any concerns they have or even move to work in another area if they feel unsafe.

"We are working closely with the police and local councils and sharing all the information our riders give us in order to help tackle crime against our riders, which is why we’re implementing new measures like our app, and helmet-mounted cameras. These will allow us to work together, share information, and bring criminals to justice."