TWO good Samaritans were beaten up as they helped at a road rage incident where a white van flipped a car over a crash barrier.

One of the men who saw the incident, and stopped so his mobile phone could be used to call the emergency services, was kicked and punched to the ground by the men in the van.

Another man, aged 54, from Dartford, who stopped a bit later to offer help, suffered from serious facial injuries, after being attacked by the same men.

The road rage incident happened after a 24-year-old Erith man, driving a J-Reg Rover along University Way, Dartford, tried to overtake a white van with two men inside it

As the young man pulled up alongside, the driver of the white T-reg van swerved and this forced the car to flip over the crash barrier.

The two men in the van then stepped out and started shouting at the driver of the car to get out.

It was then the passing drivers offered to help and were beaten up before the two men in the van drove off.

A spokesman for North Kent police said: “It appears to have been a road rage incident.

“There's no indication yet of any other motive, though it's unusual for such a vicious attack to take place with no indication of another motive.”

Both the attackers are white men, aged about 30, with shaved heads.

One of them is 5ft 11in tall with a broad build, the other is 5ft 9in tall with a stocky build.

Police believe several motorists may have been in the area when the accident happened on June 3, at 10pm.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Constable Gary Deal on 01474 565167.