An autistic Oamaru man had to be treated at Oamaru Hospital after what police described as "a cowardly attack" on him at the weekend.
The 24-year-old man was walking home along Thames Highway after dropping a friend off between 11pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, when he was attacked by two men riding bicycles.
Acting senior sergeant Tony Woodbridge said yesterday both men knew the victim because they used his name.
The two men, who were intoxicated, attacked him for two or three minutes and the victim had to be taken to Oamaru Hospital, where he was treated for concussion before being released.
"The officers who dealt with it described it as a cowardly attack on a young man with an intellectual impairment," Sgt Woodbridge said.
Sgt Woodbridge said police were following strong leads to identify the attackers, but he also appealed to anyone who might have seen the incident in the vicinity of 438 Thames Highway to contact Oamaru police.
The victim's family did not want him named.
