The 17-year-old was set upon as he was walking around the Woodlands Road and Ravens Way area.

The college student was part of a team putting the latest copy of Bersted Parish Council's newsletter through the front doors of residents' homes on Thursday, May 8.

As he approached one house, a man called out from inside that he did not anything through the letterbox.

The Scout, a member of the Tsunami Explorer group, replied 'OK' and walked away from the property to carry on delivering to the neighbouring homes.

But the man, who had just spoken to the Scout, suddenly approached him on the pavement and launched a punch to his face, knocking the teenager to the ground.

Police soon attended. They are trying to trace the suspect, who ran off after the attack. Paramedics were called to the scene after the Scout began to feel dizzy.

He was in their ambulance for about 45 minutes before he felt able to go home with his mum.

He suffered a cut under one of his eyelids and a black eye. His speech was also slurred as a result of shock at his ordeal.

News of the incident disgusted Bersted parish councillors at Tuesday's meeting.

Cllr Martin Lury said: "This sort of attack is unacceptable. I can't believe in this community that a Scout can be attacked while he is out delivering a newsletter."

Cllr Simon McDougall said: "It is disgraceful and absolutely despicable that this should happen.

"Here we have a young person out doing a good job for a good organisation to earn some money to buy equipment for the Scouts, when something like this occurs."

The Scout was in a group of three, accompanied by a supervisor. There were four groups in all in the area, each with supervisors, with a lead supervisor in charge of the deliveries.