Tasawar Hussain, who has been driving for Millers City Taxis for more than four years, was viciously assaulted by the gang in Sylvancroft, Ingol.

The late-night ambush left the 28-year-old cabbie terrified and "covered in blood".

Bosses at the firm offered a £500 reward to anyone who gives information to police which helps round up the thugs.

It is the third time one of their drivers has been seriously assaulted this year.

Mr Hussain said he had made a wrong turn at Sylvancroft and ended up in a car park when a teenager dressed in black walked towards his taxi and asked if he had come to pick up from an address in the street.

He said: "He told me he would go and get them and walked off so I turned the car round and had the window open.

"I heard a noise, turned my head on to my right shoulder and got a shovel in my nose. There were three of them, all wearing balaclavas. I was covered in blood.

"There was no argument, no warning, nothing."

Mr Hussain made it to the junction of Tanterton Hall Road and Tag Lane and then flagged down a passing police car.

He added: "I have been a taxi driver for eight-and-a-half years and this is the first time anything like this has happened to me."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which happened at around 11.30pm on Monday, June 16.

Gordon Riding, operations director at Plungington-based Millers, said drivers have been told not to get out of their cars or pick up any suspicious passengers.

He added: "It was just an unprovoked attack."

Anyone with information about the attack should call PC Lisa Dunn on 01772 203203 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.