A man was taken to hospital after an attacker opened the door of the taxi he was in and battered him as he sat next to his wife.

The 57-year-old man and his wife, also 57, were in a black hackney taxi which was stopped at traffic lights in the south side of Glasgow in the early hours of Sunday.

They were on Battlefield Road at the junction with Cathcart Road at around 12.40am when a man opened the door and attacked the victim as his wife sat next to him in the back of the cab.

The attacker repeatedly struck the 57-year-old man with a heavy object before running off. He was last seen heading towards the old Victoria Infirmary.

The taxi driver drove the man and woman to Cathcart Police Office and the injured man was then taken by police to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he was treated for a facial injury before being allowed home.

The suspect is described as in his 30s, around 5ft 6in or 5ft 7in tall, slim build with short dark hair and was wearing a dark shirt and dark trousers.

Detective constable Ian Thomson, at Cathcart CID, said: "We are currently carrying out enquiries in the area and examining CCTV to try and gain information in what would appear to be a totally random attack with no apparent motive.

"I’d like to speak to anyone who was in the area of Battlefield Road prior to this incident taking place and may have seen the suspect hanging around the area. I’d also like to speak to anyone who actually witnessed the assault or who saw the suspect running off afterwards."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cathcart CID via 101.