A man was viciously beaten by a gang of muggers wielding an axe.

Louis Kirk, 31, of St George's Road in Brighton, told today how he feared he would die as a robber kicked him, hit him around the head with what witnesses described as a 1ft long hatchet and pelted him with rocks.

The thief, one of a gang of three white men and one black man, screamed at Mr Kirk and his friend Alexandra Kraloea, 23, to hand over their belongings as they sat on Brighton Beach, to the east of the Palace Pier.

They refused, sending the axe man into a violent frenzy and prompting another member of the gang to joined in with the attack, kicking Mr Kirk and pelting him with stones.

Mr Kirk, who was also with a second woman who has not been named, said: "There were two guys beating me around the head repeatedly. I was worried I could lose consciousness or die."

He said the axe man had swung at him first, hitting him on the left side of his face with the side of the axe when he refused to hand over his cash.

He ran over to where his friends were standing, and grabbed the axe when the robber hit Miss Kraloea inthe corner of her face with a blunt edge.

He said: "I grabbed it and didn't let go. They were throwing rocks and kicking me and I ended up unconscious.

"They kept kicking me to try to get me to let go of the axe. I think they were worried about leaving their fingerprints on it. The one with the axe was particularly aggressive. His eyes were crazy and he had a drugged-out look about him."

Mr Kirk said during the attack he handed over his wallet but the robbers dropped it in panic as they realised what they had done.

He ended up with cuts above and below one of his eyes and two more on either side of his face.

He said: "I was covered in blood. It was all over my face and right the way down my jacket. I think I was on the floor for ten minutes trying to hold on to the axe.

"I was hoping the police would turn up before I had to let go but they didn't."

Mr Kirk gave the thieves his wallet but they dropped it, fleeing the scene. When the thugs started attacking him, Miss Kraloea ran off and called the police and an ambulance.

She said: "Two of the guys were just watching. They seemed younger and were not as aggressive. I think they were shocked by what was happening.

"They were just normal young guys and they were all English. They didn't even get anything in the end but it left us all very shaken up."

The main attacker was white, about 5ft 9in with medium length brown hair and aged around 25.

The second attacker was white with short blond hair and aged about 23. The other two were about 18 to 20, one white and one black.

The attack took place at 2.30am last Thursday, after the friends had enjoyed an evening at The Volks nightclub in Madeira Drive.

Witnesses are asked to call Det Con Joanne Quinn on 0845 6070999.