A chauffeur was beaten by three minibus drivers who ambushed his coach in Żebbuġ yesterday, jumped on board and started bashing him in front of over 50 terrified foreign students.

Mario Muscat, 61, an employee of Supreme Garage, was shuttling past St Dorothy's School when the mini-bus drivers blocked his path and began hurling obscenities.

"They were swearing at my dead, my family... you name it and shouting loudly. I just stood back and did not utter a word," he told The Times.

The incident happened at about 9 a.m. when the drivers, who he said he had never met in his life, suddenly boarded the coach and punched him in the face, knocking off his spectacles and attempting to force him off the bus.

"I was seeing stars and felt dizzy. Why should I be attacked? I'm not a strike-breaker. I'm not taking their work, merely carrying out my job," he added.

While the drivers on board hit Mr Muscat, others were banging on the side of the coach, attempting to break the windscreen, scaring the students out of their wits.

"The poor students later huddled around me trying to help," Mr Muscat said. By the time the police arrived to intervene, the cowardly bullies had ran away but, luckily, Mr Muscat had memorised the number plate of the vehicles.

The police are investigating.