A young couple looking to spend a few quiet moments on a Phnom Penh side road early yesterday morning saw their romantic interlude take a horrific turn when a group of gangbangers showed up.

The four men, wielding machetes, attacked the 23-year-old man, who fled with his lover, leaving their motorbike behind.

The brutes stole the ride and rode away. Police have advised others “not to stop in quiet places”. RASMEY KAMPUCHEA