Shocked shoppers watched in astonishment as a man was severely beaten in a Perth supermarket car park.
Eye witnesses said the man was leaving the Tesco car park on Crieff Road on Wednesday afternoon when his car was deliberately rammed by a Land Rover.
Two occupants of the Land Rover got out and argued with the victim who had also left his car before beating him savagely with an extendable pole.
They then got back into the Land Rover and sped off towards Crieff.
The bloodied victim refused help from members of the public who had watched helplessly throughout, and drove off in his badly-damaged car into Perth.
Police were called and an investigation is now under way.
Witnesses said all those involved spoke with eastern European accents.
One, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It was absolutely terrifying.The Land Rover came out of the petrol station from the wrong direction and rammed into the other car.
“It was as if they had been waiting for him to leave the car park.It’s not the kind of thing you expect to see when you nip out to the shops.”
The witnesses added that the victim, driving a Vauxhall Vectra, was leaving the car park at around 12.30pm and the other vehicle came from the entrance to the petrol station to hit him.
“It’s a straight-through petrol station so the only way you could come out that way is deliberately. Two guys then got out and argued with the other driver.
“He took off through the car park but they caught him against a fence and took out an extendable pole like foreign riot cops use and started hitting and kicking him.
“The Land Rover drove to where they were and they finished battering him and got in and then drove off over the kerbs and took off in the wrong lane towards Crieff at high speed.
“People went to help the guy on the ground they had to pull him from under the fence.
“He kept saying ‘no’ when they were asking if he wanted help or an ambulance and then he struggled back to his car and made off back to Perth.
“The front of his car looked badly damaged where it was hit so I’m not sure how far he’ll have got.
“People just stood watching as it happened it was absolutely shocking.”
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers attended near a filling station on Crieff Road, Perth, at about 12.05pm this afternoon following a report of a two vehicle road traffic collision involving a Land Rover and a Vauxhall car.
“Officers are also making inquiries into a report of an assault in connection with the collision. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”
She urged any witnesses to call Police Scotland on 101 or free-phone Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.