A terrified cyclist was strangled with his own bike helmet strap by a "drunk" driver in a shocking case of road rage.

Keith Patrick, 49, says the angry motorist - who was "dressed like a Blues Brother" - overtook him in a "dangerous manner" in Birchington.

The Mazda driver, believed to be aged in his 60s, then "threw open his door", which Mr Patrick crashed into.

“He became very aggressive," the self-employed builder told KentOnline.

"The smell of alcohol was overpowering, so I tried to restrain him as best as I could.

“My feet were still clipped into the pedals. I could barely move so I tried to just keep him in the car.

“He grabbed hold of the back of my helmet and started pulling it down, strangling me with the strap."

Mr Patrick had been coming to the end of a long ride along the Viking Bay Coastal Trail when the assault took place.

The father-of-two says his energy levels were very low and "after being out for three hours I was fearing the worst".

“I had to yank my head free to save myself from passing out," he said.

“I did it with such force that I’ve even been prescribed painkillers for whiplash.

“As I’m trying to recover, he says ‘I know I’m not going to win this’ before going completely quiet and fleeing the scene.

“I keep thinking to myself ‘why didn’t I do this or that?’.

“I’ve been waking up in the early hours of the morning wishing I’d taken his keys or done something differently.”

The brazen attack took place at 3.45pm on Thursday, October 6.

Mr Patrick, who raises funds for charity through cycling, had been riding towards Sea Road via Epple Bay Avenue when he was overtaken by the light blue Mazda MX5.

He says the convertible cut him up as it swerved to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle, forcing the cyclist onto the kerb.

“The police don’t seem to care..."

The Mazda driver then drove alongside Mr Patrick. The pair exchanged words, with the motorist unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade before launching his attack.

Following the ordeal, Mr Patrick had no battery on his phone so called the police when he got home in Westgate.

But he has since been disappointed by the force's response.

“I rang 999, they took a brief statement, and said I’d be allocated with a crime number," said Keith.

“24 hours later, I’d heard nothing back, so I rang 101.

“I waited for two hours to speak to someone with no luck.

“The police don’t seem to care. I’ve visited the station twice, and all I get back are excuses about why they can’t do more.”

Along with the description of the car, Mr Patrick is hoping the attacker's peculiar dress sense might jog people's memories.

"He looked like a Blues Brother," said Mr Patrick.

"He was about 65 years old, wearing a black tie and jacket, black glasses and a black hat.

"It wasn't the type of outfit you'd forget quickly.

“I’m hoping through the power of social media, we can track down my attacker.

“He can’t get away with it.”

The incident happened on the same day a fatal crash in Grinsell Hill, Minster, claimed the life of cyclist Alan Crawford.

When asked about the concerns raised by Mr Patrick, a spokesman for Kent Police said: "Kent Police is investigating a report that a cyclist was assaulted following a collision with a car in Sea Road, Westgate, between 3.30pm and 4pm on Thursday, October 6.

"Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or private CCTV footage taken in the area should call Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/194786/22."