A guest worker was left with a shattered cheekbone and bloodied face after he was attacked with motorcycle helmets by robbers in Pembroke over the weekend.

And a neighbour who came to his aid yesterday criticised Police and ambulance crew for the time it took them to respond to his 911 call.

Chris Buchanan told The Royal Gazette how he and wife Susan answered a knock at their door shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday evening to find the distressed man begging for help.

"I didn't recognise him to begin with," said Mr. Buchanan. "His face was all bloodied and he was just jabbering away. He was walking down Richmond Road, when two guys jumped down, beat him to the ground with helmets and shattered his cheekbone.

"They beat him up pretty good. They stole his bag with his wallet with all of his bank information and his watch. What was exceptionally frightening was that before they said anything they just jumped him and beat him."

Mr. Buchanan, 45, immediately dialled 911 and was "appalled at the response we got".

He was surprised that the operator did not know which parish Rosemont Avenue was in and claimed it took too long for an unmarked Police car and ambulance to arrive.

He described the ambulance crew as "nonchalant" about the victim's injuries and whether he should be treated in hospital.

"This guy could have been mortally wounded," he said. "The Police car drove by our house twice and we were the only house with the lights on. I was reading in the paper today about all the Police patrols. Certainly, there were no street patrols here last night. Where is the community policing here?"

A spokeswoman for Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB), which is responsible for ambulances, said: "BHB empathises with (the victim's) frightening and painful experience and we all wish him well in his recovery.

"We received first notification of an incident at 10.50 p.m. Both ambulances were out at the time and the information provided did not indicate that one should be immediately diverted.

"The first ambulance returned at 10.58 p.m. After handing over the patient to the nurse and preparing the ambulance, it had left King Edward VII Memorial Hospital again by 11.03 p.m. and reached (the victim) at 11.09 p.m.

"Our EMTs (emergency medical technicians) acted appropriately and provided the necessary care before bringing the patient back to the hospital's Emergency Department at 11.33 p.m."

A Police spokesman said: "We do not wish to comment on the neighbour's claim."

Mr. Buchanan said the expatriate architect was severely shocked, very confused and in a lot of pain. He remains on a general ward in the hospital, where his condition was last night described as satisfactory.

Police said the robbery took place at about 10.30 p.m. near Richmond Road's junction with Ferrars Lane. A spokesman said the suspects, two young black men, assaulted the contract worker about his face and body with helmets, pushed him to the ground and removed a 1977 silver and black 'James Bond' watch plus a blue Samsonite messenger bag containing cash and personal items. The pair escaped on foot, running east along Richmond Road towards Robin Hood Pub and Restaurant.

Louise Jackson, MP for the area, said she believed there had been several muggings in the vicinity in recent days, but Police could not confirm that.

Mrs. Jackson said Sunday night's assault was "vicious and unsettling". "It's particularly concerning because there are a lot of single elderly people living in that area."

Witnesses are asked to contact Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295-0011.