This is the shocking moment a British gymgoer was viciously attacked in a Thai gym after refusing to give up a bench press.

CCTV footage shows Gary Reed, 46, from Hastings, East Sussex, working out on a bench press in Pattaya, Thailand on May 17 when an angry fitness fan stormed over to claim he had been waiting to use the piece of equipment.

Mr Reed told his fellow Brit that he wanted to finish his set – a compromise his angry companion seemed to accept.

Mr Reed needed 60 stitches, suffered a fractured right eye socket and retinal bleeding in the brutal May 17 attack

But moments later, he returned with the seven-inch long 1kg metal dumbbell bar and cracked Mr Reed in the face.

Mr Reed was then shown staggering to his feet before confronting his brutal attacker – before the pair wrestled in front of the cameras.

Speaking today from the hospital, Gary said he needed 60 stitches following the alleged assault.

He also suffered a fractured right eye socket, bleeding on his retina and needs a CT scan to check for brain damage.

Gary said: ‘There was no queue for using the equipment so I just laid myself down on the bench to start lifting weights like I normally do.

After the strike, the two men wrestled as the CCTV cameras and other people in the gym watched on

‘You can see in the video, my weights were at the side of the bench the whole time, which basically means I’m still using it.

‘Then this guy just walked over and said he wanted to use the bench press. I was like ‘mate, just let me finish, I’ll be done in two minutes’, but he wasn’t having it. There were others available to use, so I think he was looking for a fight.

‘I carried on working out then he just came at me from behind like a coward and proper smashed me in the head.

‘As far as I’m concerned, he could have killed me. If you hit someone in the head with a hammer, it’s like attempted murder.

‘This was a piece of metal as big and almost as heavy as a hammer. I’m lucky it didn’t knock me out.’

Gary said that the attacker lunged back at him while allegedly trying to continue the attack at the the Coco Fitness gym.

After being hit in the face, Gary jumped off the bench press and took cover while the foreigner continuously struck him.

The altercation lasted almost a minute before Gary was able to lock him in a bear hug. The attacked then fled on foot.

Gary has already paid 25,000 Baht (£579) in medical fees, which could rise if he needs surgery and more treatment.

He added: ‘This guy was still trying to hit me but I was strong enough to overpower him then he legged it.

‘I’ve been left with a big hospital bill, so he needs to pay for that. I want the police to catch him so he can’t do this to anyone else.’

The Brit went to the police to file a complaint and was sent to a hospital where he had 60 stitches around his right eye to receive a medical certificate. Police are now searching for the suspect.

He wants his attacker to pay for the medical bills he has incurred because of the attack

Police Lieutenant Khunthum Khantiwong said: ‘We already have the identity of the attacker from the gym’s membership log and encourage him to cooperate so he can explain his side as well.

‘If he doesn’t hand himself in we will find him and he will be questioned about the attack on the CCTV video.’

The attacker’s gym membership has now been terminated following the incident. The police station refused to provide the man’s identity while investigations are ongoing.

Pattaya is a city on the east coast of Thailand best know for its round-the-clock nightlife and bustling sex industry that has lead to it being called a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah or Sin City.

It attracts millions of tourists each year as well as Brits looking to retire there.