Former Territorial Army soldier Ralph Richards gave a gang who beat him up in the street more than they bargained for - by whacking them with his walking stick.

Mr Richards, 62, who has difficulty walking after injuring his ankle in a road accident, was limping home in Shipley when he was set upon by a group of six youths.

But grandfather Mr Richards fought back, clobbering two of his attackers with his stick and landing another blow as he was knocked to the ground.

But the retired long distance lorry driver was then repeatedly kicked in the body by the gang and blacked out.

He came round propped against a wall and managed to stagger to his home where he alerted his daughter.

She took him to Bradford Royal Infirmary where at first he was feared to have suffered damage to his spleen or his kidneys. He was released the next day after treatment for minor internal injuries.

Mr Richards, a mature law student at Bradford College, said: "It was a totally unprovoked attack. But they didn't know about my TA Parachute Regiment training so they got more than they bargained for."

Mr Richards was on his way home at 9.30pm on Monday when he was attacked after getting off a bus in Crimshaw Lane.

He said: "I was walking a few hundred yards to my home and I noticed this group of lads walking towards me, but I didn't take any notice of them."

He said he had walked a couple of steps when they swore at him. He said: "I ignored them but they formed a ring round me. One was going to punch me so I hit him in the face with my walking stick and then hit another. They started thumping me in the back and I went down but as I was on my knees I managed to crack one of them on the shins with my stick. I fell over and they started booting me in the stomach and back."

A police spokesman described it as a "nasty and unprovoked attack".

Mr Richards said he would get off the bus nearer to his home in future.

The main attacker was Asian, aged between 16 and 18, 5ft 8ins tall and slim. He was wearing a light-coloured baseball cap, dark top and trousers and trainers.

The other five were also Asian and aged between 14 and 18 and wore casual clothing.

Anyone with any information should contact Detective Constable Richard Dove at Keighley CID on (01535) 617083.