Gang-of-six attack two teenage girls

10:50pm Monday 14th January 2008

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By David Watkinson »

A PREGNANT teenager feared she would lose her baby after a hooded gang-of-six set upon her and a friend in a motiveless attack.

Michaela Venn, 16, and her pal Leanne Sinclair, 18, were attacked by the group of teenagers while waiting to be picked up after an evening with friends in Nelson.

Police said the assault on the pair, in Leeds Road, at 10.45pm on Thursday, was a "completely unprovoked, despicable and cowardly attack on innocent victims".

Miss Venn, who is five months pregnant, has been given the all-clear by doctors after she fell during the incident.

Miss Sinclair was punched six times in the face.

Police are now hunting the men who left the girls "battered and bruised". The gang also stole Miss Sinclair's mobile phone.

Detective Constable Dave Walker, who is leading the hunt, said: "Miss Sinclair was punched five or six times in the head. It was a cowardly attack that was not provoked.

"They were waiting for a lift by the side of the road when they were approached by a gang who were abusive.

"The main aggressor in the group, egged on by another, then began an assault on the young woman until she fell, knocking over her friend.

"It was a very unpleasant attack and does not appear to have been motivated by robbery."

Miss Venn said she and Miss Sinclair had been with friends on the night before going to Leeds Road to wait for a lift home.

Miss Venn, of Kenilworth Drive, Earby, said: "It was a very scary situation.

"There was a group of about six of them and they were shouting abuse at us. We just tried to ignore them and we thought they had gone past but they must have turned round because they came back and were shouting at us again.

"I don't know why they were so aggressive towards us. One of them came right up to us. He was still calling us all sorts of names.

"Leanne was punched right in the nose and then he kept punching her in the face until she fell.

"We both landed on the floor.

"She was crying her eyes out but she was more worried that she might have hurt me.

"We went to the hospital. I was so nervous that something might have happened to my baby but they checked me over and everything is alright."

Miss Sinclair, of Spring Place, Colne, said: "He punched me so hard in the nose. He was really abusive and then attacked me. I have no idea why he did it.

"I wasn't bothered that I had been hurt but it was worrying that Michaela had fallen.

"When the gang came up to us at first I didn't want anything to do with them. We didn't even talk to them but for some reason they wouldn't leave us alone."

The gang was described as Asian, wearing hoodies and aged between 16 and 18 years old.

Anyone with any information about the assault can call Burnley CID on 01282 472412 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.