Shipoftheline
12-01-2007, 01:05 PM
Eight men have been arrested after a boy was left with head injuries in a hammer attack at his school.
The headmaster said he could not understand why anyone would use such "extreme violence" against one of his pupils.
Steve Colledge said a gang of at least four Asian men came across the tennis courts at the Ridgeway School in Wroughton, near Swindon, and attacked the boy. He was left in a pool of blood.
The attack, which happened just before 4pm yesterday, left pupils and parents "stunned and shocked", he added.
The 15-year-old has been described as "comfortable" after receiving treatment in hospital.
Eight men were arrested yesterday. The boy was set upon at the end of the school day by a gang who local sources said were the family of another pupil at the comprehensive school. He was said to have been held down and hit with a hammer.
Mr Colledge said he was on patrol in the school grounds when the boy, who is white and in year 11, was attacked.
"After school had ended for the day and pupils were exiting the premises at least four young adults unknown to the school came into the tennis courts and attacked the pupil, we believe with something similar to a hammer," he said.
He said he understood that the boy had been hit more than once and was "bleeding profusely but conscious at all times and able to help get himself on to the paramedic's stretcher".
"Clearly it's such a shocking incident and everybody has been very helpful in identifying the perpetrators of the incident to police," he added.
"The car was quickly identified and given to the police who I believe have now detained eight men. When he was at the school he was speaking and able to tell us what had happened and we were able to talk to him. His mum and dad arrived before he went off in the ambulance, I imagine they are very upset."
Counselling for pupils who witnessed the incident would be offered if needed. He said although he was aware there had been a similar type of incident at the school before he took up his role as headmaster in September, generally race relations between pupils at the school were good.
"Relations seem to be very good and pupils mix, play football and chat together."
But Mr Colledge had heard the attackers were relatives of a pupil at the school. He said: "If that's the case I think it's even more sad.
"It's not the sort of incident you would expect to happen anywhere really and it's very hard to understand why such extreme violence would be used."
He also appealed for pupils not to take matters into their own hands.
"We will talk to pupils about responding responsibly and sensibly to what has happened," he said.
The teenager is being treated at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. A spokesman said: "He has been treated and is comfortable." Ridgeway School has about 1,450 pupils aged 11 to 18.
A mother, who did not wish to be named for fear her son could be targeted, said she had heard there had been previous racially aggravated incidents at the school.
She believes children walking home from school were the subject of verbal and physical abuse from relations of Asian pupils at the school. She said that she had emailed the headmaster and planned, with others, to talk to him today "because I don't want my son to go back until it is resolved".
The headmaster said he could not understand why anyone would use such "extreme violence" against one of his pupils.
Steve Colledge said a gang of at least four Asian men came across the tennis courts at the Ridgeway School in Wroughton, near Swindon, and attacked the boy. He was left in a pool of blood.
The attack, which happened just before 4pm yesterday, left pupils and parents "stunned and shocked", he added.
The 15-year-old has been described as "comfortable" after receiving treatment in hospital.
Eight men were arrested yesterday. The boy was set upon at the end of the school day by a gang who local sources said were the family of another pupil at the comprehensive school. He was said to have been held down and hit with a hammer.
Mr Colledge said he was on patrol in the school grounds when the boy, who is white and in year 11, was attacked.
"After school had ended for the day and pupils were exiting the premises at least four young adults unknown to the school came into the tennis courts and attacked the pupil, we believe with something similar to a hammer," he said.
He said he understood that the boy had been hit more than once and was "bleeding profusely but conscious at all times and able to help get himself on to the paramedic's stretcher".
"Clearly it's such a shocking incident and everybody has been very helpful in identifying the perpetrators of the incident to police," he added.
"The car was quickly identified and given to the police who I believe have now detained eight men. When he was at the school he was speaking and able to tell us what had happened and we were able to talk to him. His mum and dad arrived before he went off in the ambulance, I imagine they are very upset."
Counselling for pupils who witnessed the incident would be offered if needed. He said although he was aware there had been a similar type of incident at the school before he took up his role as headmaster in September, generally race relations between pupils at the school were good.
"Relations seem to be very good and pupils mix, play football and chat together."
But Mr Colledge had heard the attackers were relatives of a pupil at the school. He said: "If that's the case I think it's even more sad.
"It's not the sort of incident you would expect to happen anywhere really and it's very hard to understand why such extreme violence would be used."
He also appealed for pupils not to take matters into their own hands.
"We will talk to pupils about responding responsibly and sensibly to what has happened," he said.
The teenager is being treated at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. A spokesman said: "He has been treated and is comfortable." Ridgeway School has about 1,450 pupils aged 11 to 18.
A mother, who did not wish to be named for fear her son could be targeted, said she had heard there had been previous racially aggravated incidents at the school.
She believes children walking home from school were the subject of verbal and physical abuse from relations of Asian pupils at the school. She said that she had emailed the headmaster and planned, with others, to talk to him today "because I don't want my son to go back until it is resolved".