A councillor has praised residents who came to the aid of a man who was attacked in Rainham.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which officers were called to on South Street at 7.15pm yesterday (Monday, May 4).

Councillor Michael Deon Burton, Mayor of Havering, said he had little doubt that residents from Lowen Apartments came out of their homes and “thwarted” the violence.

He said: “I am proud of the residents. People coming out scared them off. One or two even attended the injured person laying upon the road with first aid kits brought with them from their homes.”

He saw two men who were involved in the attack, which he said took place next to the Mardyke Community Centre.

Cllr Deon Burton, who lives on the Orchard Village estate, said weapons included a baseball bat and a cricket bat and that there may have been up to six assailants in total.

He said he witnessed the victim lying on the pavement “screaming” and moving into a foetal position to protect his head.

Cllr Deon Burton added: “One of the young assailants momentarily stopped, turned on his heel as if he were to go and then decided to continue raining blows on the defenceless victim until a young lady who was driving a Mercedes car called to him.”

He alerted the emergency services to what happened and a London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We were called at 7:11pm on May 4 to reports of a person injured on South Street, Rainham.

“We dispatched an ambulance crew and an incident response officer.

“We treated a man at the scene but didn’t take him to hospital.”

A Met Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called at approximately 7.15pm on Monday, May 4 to reports of a man assaulted in South Street, Rainham.

“Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene. The man, in his 20s, was treated at the scene.”

She added that there have been no arrests and enquiries into what happened are ongoing.

Anyone with any information should call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.