A former resident visiting Bermuda this week is fearing for his and his family's safety after he was ambushed by five youths on Wednesday night and beaten with helmets and a broom handle.

And the 31-year-old man, who asked not to be named, said this was the third unprovoked attack he had been the victim of in the space of a few weeks.

The man said he thought the assailants were in their late teens or early 20s and added that they threatened him with "knife attacks'' during the assault on St. John's Road in Pembroke.

"I actually worry now that I could just be walking down the street and someone could come up to me and stab me,'' said the graphic artist and web-designer, who grew up in Bermuda but now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

"I'm afraid for my life and for my family's safety.'' The man also claimed he was assaulted only a few weeks ago outside of The Escape nightclub.

"As I was waiting to enter the club, a scuffle broke out in the lobby because the security people were putting some other people out,'' he said.

"Because I was wearing black, I think the trouble-makers must have thought I was a bouncer too, so one of them pushed me and tried to hit me.

"In defence, I punched him back and I guess he must have realised I was bigger than him so he gave up and walked away.'' About 15 minutes later, as he walked out of the club, the man said he was approached by the same man who had come back with one of his friends.

"They grabbed me from behind and punched me. This attack spilled out on to the street and I guess the threat of Police must have scared them off.'' The man, a former nightclub bouncer himself, explained that he was walking across Front Street, from the Emporium Building, on Wednesday night when the same two youths and three of their friends pointed at him and shouted: "There he is!'' He said: "I was driving my bike home when I noticed the lights of five other motorcycles in my mirror. They tried to ram my bike as we were on St. John's Road and they forced me to stop.

"Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by five individuals with bandanas tied across their faces and they started attacking me with their helmets and a broom handle.

"I defended myself as well as I could but I have deep bruises all over my back because of what they did. I was only aided in scaring them off because a resident in the area came out of their house and threatened to call the Police.'' The man said he immediately made his way home and reported the matter to Police, who took a full statement from him yesterday morning. He said he was "appalled'' that this had happened in what he had once thought to be a place of "peace and paradise.'' "This could happen to visitor who's never been to the Island before,'' he said. "They could just be out having a good time and then be assaulted by people they don't know. It's ridiculous.'' He said, when he left Bermuda five years ago, he "always viewed Bermuda as a peaceful place''.

"Every time anyone would ask me about it I would say it was a great place to visit but this incident has definitely changed my outlook on visiting the Island in the future.'' He continued: "It's getting more and more like the States where unprovoked attacks just keep springing up.

"I never thought it would get to that point here. It's supposed to be an Island of peace and paradise.'' The man added his preconception of incidents such as these were that they were usually drug-related. But he said this attack was definitely nothing to do with drugs "because I've never touched that stuff in my life''.

A Police spokesman confirmed last night that the incident was reported and said an investigation had been launched.