Three people have been arrested and another is on the loose after beating a bin man with a pole and dog chain.

The 42-year-old worker was driving the refuse truck along Lyndhurst Gardens in Highams Park at about 8.30pm on Friday when he noticed a double parked car had made the road too narrow to travel down.

When the truck was level with the car, two men emerged from one of the houses and began shouting at the driver.

The driver of the truck asked if he had hit their car and they said no.

The 29-year-old man then opened the truck door and began punching the driver, while his 24-year-old companion started hitting the bin man with a pole.

A third man, black, of slim build wearing a light blue t-shirt, also appeared, beating him with a dog chain.

During the attack the driver lost control of the truck, which hit several cars in the road as he tried to defend himself.

He managed to drive off and flagged down police in Evanston Avenue.

While he talked to them the 24-year-old started walking down the road with the pole in hand before he saw police, at which point he began walking away, but the officers arrested him on suspicion of aggressive bodily harm, affray and possession of an offensive weapon.

As they did so a 19-year-old woman started to attack the bin man, so police also arrested her on suspicion of affray and the 29-year-old on suspicion of actual bodily harm and affray.

They have been bailed until Friday, May 17.

Reports that the truck hit a little girl have not been confirmed.

The bin man had swelling to the right side of his face and a small bump on the top of his head, but did not require hospital treatment.