Friends beaten up by gang of seven teens

BADLY beaten . . . assault victim Patrick O’Brien

Police dismiss claims of racial motivation

A GROUP of four friends were attacked by a gang in a vicious assault in Westwood.

The teenagers, two male and two female, were jumped by the group of seven males, aged in their late teens.

Patrick O’Brien (18), from Coldhurst, needed hospital treatment after suffering cuts and bruises from being kicked and punched in the head and ribs.

The victims, all white, fear it was a racially-motivated attack because all the assailants were Asian. But it is understood there was no reference by the attackers to the colour of the victims, although in shouting abuse, they referred to the four friends as “goths”.

Police say they do not believe there was a racial element and have classed the crime as common assault.

The incident happened on Featherstall Road North, opposite Tesco and close to the old Wickes store, at around 6.40pm on Wednesday.

Patrick, the worst injured, said: “I don’t remember much as I was unconscious. I was kicked all over and I have a head injury. I’m still a bit groggy now. I didn’t want to go out today.”

Another victim, an 18-year-old Chadderton woman who escaped injury but was left badly shaken and didn’t want to be identified, said a group of men got out of a taxi and were joined by others as they were rude and abusive to her and her friends, including calling them “goths”.

She said: “They started jumping my mate, smashing his head into the ground, and me. We ran off and I tried to get back to my house with my mates but they had a go at us again.”

She knocked on several doors for help but no one answered. They eventually managed to escape to her house near by.

The Oldham College student added: “My friend suffered cuts across his face and bruises on his ribs and was in a lot of pain. I’m scared to go out.”

Her mum said: “They punched her and kicked her. She was just in shock and crying. She’s all right but frightened to go out and would not go to college today. She’s very upset about it.

“One of her friends got quite badly beaten up. He got kicked in the ribs and head quite a few times and had his head hit on to concrete. He’s got to go back to hospital again. We are hoping he will be OK.”

She says after the police took a statement they told her CCTV cameras would be put up in the area. She added that her 15-year-old son was also chased by an Asian gang on Tuesday near Hunt Lane, Chadderton, but managed to get away.

Police say investigations are continuing.