A COMPLAINT has been made to the police following an incident on a Gloucester roundabout in which a Forest of Dean driver and his daughter allege they were punched by another man.

The victims say they cannot believe the outcome – a caution for the man who had been charged with the assault.

"It has left me a nervous wreck, frightened to go out and nervous of driving. I am constantly afraid I will meet the man again. We are still living with the attack," said the Cinderford woman who was a passenger in a car being driven by her husband.

They were accompanied by a toddler, aged 21 months, a 12 year-old and a 15 year-old.

"My husband has been left with a broken finger and my 15 year-old stepdaughter was punched yet because the man was found to be of previous good character he has been let off with a caution.

"We do not feel this matter has been handled properly. I doubt we can change the outcome but we are making a complaint. We are disgusted with what has happened," she said.

The man who was charged with the assault is also said to be from Cinderford.

The woman alleges the incident followed a collision at Barnwood roundabout at 7am on the morning of August 25.

The woman explained that following the accident both her husband and the other driver pulled over to inspect the damage.

She alleged: "He did not make eye contact or ask if we were OK and I'm sure it was obvious that there were children in the car. He commented on the scratch to his car and my husband asked if he would admit liability as clearly he was at fault. He proceeded to tell my husband in no uncertain terms what to do and then punched my husband on the jaw.

"We couldn't believe our eyes. This man then repeatedly punched my husband in the face. My husband had his hands up as he did not want to fight as the man was older, although the way he fought so brutally you would think he was a prize-winning fighter.

"During the attack my stepdaughter got out of the car and shouted for the man to 'stop hitting my dad'. You would have thought that would have brought him to his senses but he swung for my stepdaughter once and on his second attempt punched her in the face."

The woman said her husband was forced to respond and fought back, wrestling the man to the ground and punching him in the face before a witness broke up the brawl.

She said that when the police arrived they appeared to come to the conclusion that the attacker, whose face was bleeding, was worse off than her husband.

She said: "The police wanted the matter sorted at the roadside as in the constable's words 'I can't be bothered to nick anyone at ten past seven in the morning.' However, we insisted that this matter wasn't something that should be dealt with by the roadside. After arrests and statements were made we were informed later in the day that the man had been charged with assault, but that due to being of previous good character he had been let off with a caution."

The woman said that she and her family were still in shock and suffering the consequences of the day.

"It is unfair that the man who lost his temper walked out of the police station with a caution. He was not ordered to pay compensation and has not offered one word of apology. We wonder if he has children and how he would react if the boot had been on the other foot?"

In a statement on Tuesday a police spokes­man said: "A 59 year-old man from Cinderford was arrested on suspicion of actual body harm after an altercation at the Barnwood roundabout on August 25 and later given a formal caution for the offence.

"It would be inappropriate to comment in more detail at this time as an official complaint has been received, which is now being dealt with by our Professional Standards Department.

"However, in cases like this where a full admission is made in interview and the offender is of previous good character a formal caution is sometimes deemed the most suitable resolution, in line with Home Office guidelines.

"A formal caution does constitute a criminal record."