A gang of men who relentlessly bashed a 37-year-old man who came to the aid of a taxi-driver recorded their assault on a mobile phone, police in Melbourne say.
The police today called for public help to track down the gang involved in the assault outside a service station in the suburban Bayswater east of Melbourne last month.

Police believe the 37-year-old man was targeted after he came to the defence of a taxi driver who was being verbally abused by a group of five men at a service station on the corner of Mountain Highway and Dorset Road about 4am (AEST) on May 5.

The man from Boronia, in Melbourne's outer-east, who had just left a nearby food store, approached the group and they exchanged words.

The taxi driver then left the area and several members of the group began punching the man, police said.

Detective Senior Constable Rohan Bodsworth said when the man fell to the ground the group set upon him and sprayed him with a fire extinguisher.

"He was repeatedly kicked and punched," Snr Const Bodsworth said.

"He was on the ground and quite motionless and the group of men returned to him on three occasions and continued the assault on him," he said. "Increasing the violence towards him."

"It's a vicious assault on him when all he set out to do was protect another person."

Snr Const Bodsworth said footage from a security camera outside the service station showed one of the men recording the attack on his mobile phone.

"There's a person depicted doing what appears to be filming the incident," Snr Const Bodsworth said.

"The callousness shown of recording (the incident) whilst another person is on the ground being beaten is really quite appalling."

The men then fled the scene.

The man, who sustained head and chest injuries, was admitted to hospital and underwent surgery.

The men police are looking for are described as being aged between 17 and 20 years old, and one of the men was referred to as "Dave" or "Dribbs."

Police said they believed the men lived in the Bayswater area and residents may know them.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

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