A young rickshaw driver who had his vehicle stolen by robbers who kicked and punched him to the ground has spoken of the "terrifying" incident.
Marcin Gorczniak, 21, was pedalling in Edinburgh's Cowgate on Friday at 2230 BST when a gang stopped him.
The Edinburgh University student told BBC Scotland's news website: "They stood in front of my bike without a word and then started punching me."
It is the third attack on the Polish driver since September.
"During the last attack they shouted for me to go back to my own country but I'm not sure if this latest incident was racist"
The electronics student from Poznan in Poland, who was in Holyrood Road, added: "I tried to defend myself but I couldn't because there were so many.
"I was very afraid, it was really terrible. They were punching me so much I fell off the bike and then they punched me on the ground so I put my hands up to protect my face.
"It happens very often to rickshaw drivers and makes me very angry because I like my job otherwise.
"My parents in Poland want me to stop the job but I have told them I will carry on."
He said he was unsure if it had been a racist attack.
'Racist attack'
He said: "During the last attack they shouted for me to go back to my own country, but I'm not sure if this latest incident was racist.
"People often recognise I'm Polish without hearing me speaking because they can distinguish that I look Polish so I don't know if this also was a racist attack or not."
After he refused to give the gang money, they knocked him to the ground and snatched his rucksack before racing off on the three-wheeled vehicle.
Two passing rickshaw drivers followed the gang, unaware their colleague had been assaulted, and were also attacked in St John's Street where the rickshaw was abandoned by the gang of between five and seven 20-year-olds.
Mr Gorczniak was riding for Edinburgh Pedicabs, which has about 50 drivers operating in the city.
'Quite frustrating'
Owner Philip Varley said his drivers are subject to an average of one assault per month.
He added: "I think they just wanted his money, but this kind of thing happens quite regularly.
"Nothing seems to get done about it, which is quite frustrating."
One of the suspects was described as 5ft 9in, with short hair. He was wearing a blue and white striped hooded top.
Another was slightly taller, had bushy eyebrows and was wearing a brown hooded top.
A police spokesman said: "We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed the assault."
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