A cyclist is fighting for his life in hospital after being chased down and bashed by a gang of youths in West Ewell.

Thirty-nine-year-old Felipe David, a Portuguese national living in Epsom, was riding along Cox Lane at about 9.30pm last night when he was attacked by four males, believed to be in their late teens or early 20s.

Mr David was left with such serious head injuries after the assault that police are treating the crime as attempted murder.

Your Local Guardian: Epsom cyclist condition still critical after West Ewell gang attack He was taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting after first being treated at Epsom Hospital.

Police confirmed at 11am this morning that the man’s condition was still critical.

The attack is believed to have taken place near the junction of Cox Lane and Pemberley Chase, where police search teams were focusing their efforts.

By 10pm last night police had cordoned off the area between Holman Road and Rowden Road at the north end of Cox Lane.

Residents were shocked to hear of the attack.

A local newsagent said: “Nothing like this has happened round here for ages.”

Resident Graham Hughes, from West Ewell, said: “I'm very shocked to hear this has happened practically on our doorstep.

"This road is usually pretty quiet yet no one seems to have heard anything.

“Whoever was involved must have scarpered very quickly as there was no one around when the ambulances took him away.”

Another resident Darren Wicks, 16, said: “We heard ambulances arriving about 10pm but we didn’t hear any shouting or fighting.”

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance said: “Shortly before 9.20pm last night we were called to Cox Lane in West Ewell to reports of a man who had fallen off his bike and sustained a head injury.

Police are appealing for witnesses who were in the Cox Lane area between 9pm and 10pm last night.

The incident is being investigated by Surrey Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team.

It is believed an altercation of some kind may have taken place before Mr David was chased and detectives are following several lines of inquiry to establish a motive.

House-to-house enquiries are taking place and police are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the attack or who was in the area between 9pm and 10pm last night.

DCI Maria Woodall, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a savage attack which has left Mr David fighting for his life and we are determined to identify and catch those responsible.

“I am appealing to anyone with information that could help us to contact police or call Crimestoppers anonymously. In particular, we are keen to speak to the driver of a black car, possibly a Nissan, which was seen on Cox Lane shortly after the attack took place. “We are also working to piece together more information about Mr David – both his history and his movements on the day of the attack – and have released a photograph to help jog people’s memories. Do you know Mr David? Did you see him yesterday?

“A dedicated phone line has been set up and people who have any information can contact police on 0800 096 1233 or, if they are calling from abroad, on 0044 207 158 0197.”

Anyone with information should call Surrey Police on 0845 125 222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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