TWO young thugs have been jailed for an unprovoked attack on a cyclist in a Rodbourne park.

Jason Davey and Steven Brown decided to assault the next person who passed them after another cyclist had made a comment about their drunken behaviour.

And the youths, both 20, set about Avtar Singh Dhaliwal knocking him to the ground before kicking him unconscious, fleeing when they feared they may have killed him.

The incident happened in November 2004 just a few weeks before the two men were involved in another brutal attack in the town centre.

Ian Halliday, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Mr Dhaliwal was on his way home from a late shift at a BMW component factory when the attack happened.

He left the plant at about 10pm and his route home took him through playing fields close to Ferndale Road.

"He saw two men standing in the cycle path," he said. "As he came up and was passing them he recollected a blow to one side of his head then a blow to the other side of the head.

Mr Dhaliwal fell to the ground and remembers being hit and kicked while on the ground, and blacked out but did not know for how long.

After arriving home about half an hour late the victim went to the Great Western Hospital where he was treated for severe swelling to his face and other grazes.

Mr Halliday said that at that point the police had few leads but following publicity in the local press the names of the two men were given to the authorities. He said two young girls came forward and told police they were in the park at the time of the attack and saw it happen.

They said the youths ran up and attacked the cyclist crying old school' as they set about him with Brown later boasting how he kicked the victim in the head with his steel toe capped boots.

When they were questioned the men told police that they shouted those words as a signal to attack someone from their gang called the wolf pack.

Brown told officers that they attacked the man until he started to make a gurgling sound' and ran off fearing they may have killed him.

Davey said they had been in the park drinking heavily and shortly before the attack another cyclist had sworn when making a comment about them drinking in public.

"They then agreed that they would attack the next person who came into the park regardless of who it was," said Mr Halliday.

As a result of the attack he said the victim was off work for four to five weeks, had dizzy spells for four months and was afraid to go out on his bike or at night.

Davey and Brown, both of Hatherleigh Court, admitted actual bodily harm.

Andrew Hobson, for Davey, said his client was currently serving a four year jail term imposed for stabbing a man in a robbery near the Outlet Village in December 2004.

Rob Ross, for Brown, said his client was serving a four and a half year sentence for his part in the robbery committed with Davey.

Jailing the men for 18 months Judge Tom Longbotham said the sentences were so short because they were to be added to the current prison terms.

He said: "You two had been drinking and decided that the next innocent member of the public who came along minding their own business cycling along was going to get a severe beating.

"Not of course considering whether he needed medical help or not you ran off bragging it seems about what you had done.

"It is the sort of case that worries the public, they are worried at any time that they may be the victim of a completely unprovoked attack."