A motorist punched another driver in the face in a road rage attack before racially abusing him in a Hampton Hill cul-de-sac, a court heard.

Philippe Berry, of Fullers Way North, Tolworth, attacked banker Mahendar Surendar and shouted racist abuse at him.

The 49-year-old told Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday he approached Mr Surendar, who was lost while driving home to Bristol, about his "dangerous driving".

Berry said Mr Surendar, who had completed an exam in Kingston, was tail-gating him and nearly hitting a man at a pedestrian crossing, which was denied.

He said he followed him into The Garth, where he confronted him and claimed Mr Surendar became "aggressive" and wanted to fight him.

He said: "I decided I would tell him he should be a bit more careful because his driving was really atrocious.

"I got out, he had wound his window down and I said ‘what the hell do you think you are doing, you almost killed that man’.

"At that point he went down and my immediate reaction was to push myself away to get that distance."

When asked by defence solicitor Sandra Cooper if he racially abused Mr Surendar, Berry denied it and said he would "never say anything like that".

But Mr Surendar told the magistrates Berry blocked his Ford Mondeo into The Garth before getting out of his own car and punching him twice in the mouth, causing injury.

He said: "He came very fast and he punched me, I was confused because I never had any problem usually, I stay away from trouble.

"I was confused, I tried to duck down but he punched me twice in the mouth."

Mr Surendar took pictures of Berry and his car before he drove off, which he passed on to police, who were able to trace him.

Berry was convicted of both assault by beating and racially-aggravated assault.

Magistrate Laura Boyle said: "We found Mr Surendar to be a credible, compelling and convincing witness.

"Mr Berry said his actions were instinctive and in self-defence - we note he was the one to approach Mr Surendar and don’t accept his version of events."

He will return to the same court for sentencing on Thursday, March 26, where he will receive a community order.