A 78-year-old councillor was brutally beaten just yards from his front door in Swanscombe – all for little more than £3 in pocket change.

Councillor Pat Scanlan was on his way back from a meeting of the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association at around 10pm on November 7 when he was set upon by a lone thug.

The meeting had taken place at the home of fellow Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Councillor Bryan Read’s home in Eglinton Road, a few minute’s walk away from Pat’s residence in Milton Road.

The retired payroll manager was around 30 yards from his front door when he saw a woman a little way ahead of him on the dark pavement.

He told News Shopper: "Suddenly she gave a bit of a squeal and dashed across the road and there was a fella standing there.

"I just thought it was somebody she knew who had jumped out and surprised her.

"I carried on walking and as I got level with him, bang, he punched me in the face. There was no warning whatsoever.

"I staggered back and then he hit me again and the second one put me down.

"Then he shouted ‘where’s the money?’ and that was all he said, over and over again."

Pat, who has lived in the same house for 36 years, says he spent the next few minutes flat out on the pavement trying to fight off his assailant, who rained punches on him from all sides.

He said: "I don’t know how many times he hit me, I was too busy trying to stop him to count.

"Eventually what I did try to do was kick him in the balls as that would have stopped him.

"Unfortunately he was rather tall, about 6ft, and I couldn’t reach him.

"I don’t want to say what he looked like as there’s a police investigation going on but I would recognise him if I saw him.

News Shopper:

Coun Scanlan at the spot where he was attacked.

"I think he was either high or drunk as he was slurring his speech a bit.

"Eventually he just walked off."

A car driver pulled up to see if Pat was ok and called the police when it was clear he was not.

His glasses were recovered from a nearby hedge, along with £3.15 in change which had fallen out of his pocket and which his attacker had completely missed.

But Pat thinks his front door keys were stolen in the melee.

The pensioner spent the next five days in Darent Valley Hospital suffering from a broken rib, two black eyes and bruising to his head and jaw.

He said: "I’m bitter about it but there’s no point in letting things get you down.

"I feel fine now but looking in the mirror I still look like a panda."

Swanscombe and Greenhithe deputy mayor Coun Susan Butterfill added: "You try and work out why someone would want to do something like that.

"It’s terrible that you can’t walk from a neighbour’s house to your own front door without getting smashed in the face.

"Fortunately Pat’s ok but he could have been killed.

"He’s a strong man and an amazing councillor."

Kent Police has arrested a 20-year-old man from Greenhithe over the alleged robbery and assault.

He has been bailed until January 12 pending further enquires.