Police are hunting four men who violently attacked a defenceless elderly couple in a “vicious and disgusting” road rage attack.

Grandparents Christopher and Beryl Bell, of Undercliffe, Bradford, had been out shopping and were driving home when their car clipped the wing mirror of a black Audi A3 car.

Fearing the reaction of the driver and his three passengers, 65-year-old Mr Bell carried on but was tailgated by the Audi until he stopped in Pollard Lane, Undercliffe.

Mr Bell, who takes 12 tablets a day for a heart condition, got out to speak to the driver but the four occupants became verbally abusive and started punching him on the head.

Mrs Bell, aged 66, then got out of the vehicle and tried to persuade the young men to stop hitting her husband, but she too was punched in the face and ended up lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Both were taken to hospital and Mrs Bell was unable to open her eyes for some time due to the pain in her face.

Mr Bell said: “I got out of the car and the driver got out of his car and we were set together. The other three got out of the car and punched me on my head a couple of times, one in the back. I turned round and I saw my wife on the floor – blood was gushing out of a cut in her nose and a big bump on her head and someone shouted ‘get the police’ and all of a sudden they have jumped in their car and off they went.”

Mr Bell said the men were “shouting like hell” but added that he could not make out what they were saying.

Mrs Bell said: “I was scared but I just saw them all hitting him so I got out and tried to stop it and got punched in the face, then I was on the floor in a load of blood.

“I wasn’t unconscious but my head was going round like I was in a daze.”

Detective Inspector Sean Duggan, of Bradford South Police, who yesterday revealed the details of the attack, said: “This is a particularly violent attack on two vulnerable old people going about their daily business. Four people who are much younger than them and bigger in stature have got out of the vehicle and attacked them quite violently.

“I accept that the offenders in this case are described as Asian, the victims are white British. However, nothing has been said by the offenders that would suggest it’s a racially motivated incident. It’s just a violent unprovoked disgusting attack.”

The Audi driver is described as Asian, stocky, about 5ft 9ins tall and aged 25 with short, black hair, while the front seat passenger was Asian, aged about 20, slim with medium length, jet black hair. The other two passengers were Asian males in their 20s.

Anyone with information about the incident, which happened at about 3.10pm on Tuesday, June 9, should call PC Mark Price at Bradford South Crime Investigation Team on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.