A BOY who was attacked in school has undergone reconstructive surgery on his battered face.

Adam Afzal, 15, suffered a fractured cheekbone when he was punched and head- butted before an exam.

He had a metal plate inserted in his right cheek during a two-hour operation, at Royal Blackburn Hospital, on Sunday.

His cheek was broken in four places, and shattered so badly that surgeons had to carefully remove tiny fragments of bone.

Adam, who was attacked in a classroom at Sir John Thursby Community College, in Eastern Avenue, Burnley, will miss the rest of his GCSE exams, which are taking place this week.

His mother Razia Kalsoon, 37, said: “The operation was due to last 20 minutes, but it took nearly two hours.

“It shows just how hard he was hit.

“There’s no chance of him doing any of the exams now.

“He’s devastated because for the last year everything he’s done has been geared towards these exams.

“He was due to take English literature and German this week and he is supposed to have an interview for Runshaw College too, but I just don’t know what’s going on. It’s not looking good.”

Lancashire Police said investigations into the incident, which took place at 8.45am on May 13, were ongoing, but that no arrests had been made.

It is understood the boy who hit Adam, who cannot be named, has been excluded from the school, but will still be allowed to sit his remain-ing exams.

Mrs Kalsoon said: “It’s maddening that the person who did this can just get on with their exams, and my child has had his life brought to a standstill.

“I’ve had to leave my baby with his grandmother, and we’ve had to get other people to look after our shop. It’s not been easy.

“I couldn’t go through this again.”

Adam’s family were hopeful that he would be allowed home from hospital last night.