Shocking video footage has emerged of a man being beaten by drag racers in Durban.

At least half a dozen people can be seen kicking and hitting the man as he cowers on the ground at a petrol station on Umgeni Road — a road regularly used for illegal drag racing.

The 30-second clip shows the man struggling to get to his feet and clutching his head after the severe beating‚ while the perpetrators simply walk away. Nobody came to help the man.

The video was being shared widely on WhatsApp groups on Friday.

While it was immediately unclear what caused the fight‚ another video taken moments earlier seems to show the man jumping a red robot as two drag racers hurtle towards him. It appears the man was then forced to pull over at the petrol station‚ where the beating took place.

Durban resident Wesley James Smith‚ who was not present when the incident happened‚ shared both videos on his Facebook page. In two hours they had been viewed 13 000 times.

“So these ‘card board gangsters’ think it’s funny to kick a old man like a dog. It’s shit like this that makes me shake with anger‚” he wrote.

He said he was on a mission to find out who was responsible.

“Now as a concerned person I have taken it upon myself to get the footage and find the poor guy you kicked like a savage. Today is the day you learn the power of social media. You little pricks better hide because will only be able to see the judge on Monday. A weekend in jail is going to seem like an eternity. Karma is a bitch and you are about to get served a very healthy helping. No matter what happened ... no one deserves this‚” he wrote.

Police have been made aware of the footage.