A DRIVER had his front teeth knocked out during a road rage attack, police said.

The 39-year-old was driving a blue Renault Clio in Whalley Road, Simonstone, when he was involved in a minor collision with a blue Citroen C2, at around 3.20pm yesterday.

He is then alleged to have attacked the driver of the Citroen, also a 39-year-old man.

The alleged attacker lost his front teeth, while his victim suffered a scratch to his left cheek and cuts to his hand in the incident, a police spokesman said.

Both men live in Simonstone and were checked over by paramedics, but not taken to hospital, and neither car was damaged, the spokesman added.

Motorist Tony Dewhurst was in a queue of traffic when he said he saw the men fighting.

He said: “These two guys were slugging it out. It was like a boxing match.

The two were fighting and there was a girl in the front of one of the cars looking a bit distressed.

“I called 999 but as I phoned a police van and ambulance came round the corner. It was like something from The Sweeney.”

Nurse Joanne Wiig also saw the incident on her way home.

The Whalley Road resident said: “I saw two small blue cars stationary at the side of the road. I saw a man get out.

He was on his phone, talking. There was a girl crouched down on the grass verge, holding a small dog, like a Shih Tzu. I would say she was in her 20s.”

Joanne said she finds driving on the road ‘intimidating’.

She added: “I try to stick to 30mph, and I get cars right up to my bumper, flashing their lights.

“It’s terrible, and I’m surprised there has been no big incidents on here before.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said motorists often drive in excess of 80mph in the 30mph zone, which turns into a national limit road around 750 yards from yesterday’s incident.

She said: “Accidents are a regular occurance, as drivers slow to turn into Haugh Avenue.”

Nobody was arrested in connection with the incident, although the driver of the Clio will be interviewed at a later date, police said.

Any witnesses are urged to contact PC 3271 Darren Neal on 101.