A taxi driver was seriously injured by two passengers who beat him up after asking "Where's your money?"

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident in which 61-year-old Sher Alam, pictured, was pulled from his car and attacked in the street.

He said the assault could have been much worse if he had not been seen by another taxi driver.

Mr Alam picked up the two men from the company rank in Regent Street in Heckmondwike at 5.55am on Saturday and took them to the White Lee area of the town.

When he approached the junction of White Lee Road and Leeds Old Road at Six Lane Ends, Mr Alam asked the men where they wanted to go.

"The man in the front asked, 'Where's your money?' I said 'What money?' and he hit me," said Mr Alam, a taxi driver for six years.

The man in the back dragged Mr Alam from his seat and the front passenger headbutted him. Both men then began to kick him, causing serious injuries. "I have a big lump on my eye and bruising all over my body," said Mr Alam, who was given antibiotics, painkillers and eye drops.

"I had to go to hospital where I was treated for injuries, cuts and bruising to my eye, leg, hips and knees."

Mr Alam said the incident lasted only five minutes, but he felt he had only been saved by the arrival of another taxi driver who pulled up behind his car.

"The driver was not from my company, but he had seen the men looking into the car and saw me on the floor," said Mr Alam.

"If that taxi driver had not pulled up, they would have continued kicking me and I don't know what would have happened. They just left me lying in the road and ran away."

The other driver took Mr Alam to Dewsbury District Hospital because his eye was bleeding quite badly. He has been unable to work since the attack and said it will take him a while to get over it.

"I am still in pain - my eyes and my nose are very painful," he said. "I have heard about this sort of thing happening to taxi drivers in Huddersfield and Dewsbury, but nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

All that was missing after the incident was a £55 watch.

The front seat passenger is described as white, 25 years old, about 5ft 6in tall, with short, dark, mousy hair, a small face, pronounced cheekbones, slightly sunken cheeks, a dimple in his chin and a small to medium nose which was slightly pointed. He wore a dark blue t-shirt, dark blue trousers and black shoes and spoke with a local accent.

The rear seat passenger was also white, 27 years old, more than 5ft tall, of stocky build, with short, mousy hair and a big, round face. He wore beige trousers, a dark blue top and cream trainers.

Anyone who witnessed the attack or who may know anything about the two men involved is asked to call PC Dave Campbell at Heckmondwike Police on 0845 60 60 60 6.