A TEENAGER has suffered serious head injuries after he and his friends were viciously attacked by a gang of youths in a city centre park.

By Rebecca Gray

A TEENAGER has suffered serious head injuries after he and his friends were viciously attacked by a gang of youths in a city centre park.

The unprovoked attack happened in broad daylight as the teenagers, who are on holiday from school, were sunbathing.

The 16-year-old victim was rushed to hospital after being repeatedly hit on the head with what witnesses described as a glass Buckfast wine bottle.

Strathclyde Police are now hunting the gang.

He was assaulted by a number of young men on the corner of Rottenrow Gardens and Montrose Street, near Strathclyde University, in Glasgow's city centre shortly after 6pm on Tuesday.

The victim was in a group of nine friends when he was attacked by several members of another group of about 10 youths.

He was punched to the ground and kicked before being repeatedly hit on the head.

The attack left the teenager with bruising and swelling to his face and head and he was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

One of the boy's friends, a 16-year-old girl, also had her blue and black mobile phone stolen in the attack.

Another teenager, who tried to help his friend, was punched and kicked. He received medical attention at the scene, before accompanying his friend to hospital. He has since been released.

It is believed the incident began when two of the youths involved approached the group of friends, who were sitting near Rottenrow Gardens, and asked for a cigarette.

One of the men then grabbed the girl's handbag before more youths arrived on the scene and attacked the teenagers.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing shouting and arguing near the university's James Weir building, before seeing several of them running away after the attack.

One eyewitness said: "There were about five or six older youths kicking and punching two younger boys. Then I saw one of them produce a bottle of Buckfast and strike one of the teenagers on the head with it. I think he hit him about three or four times before they ran off."

The gang of about 10 youths are all thought to be between 18 and 25 years old, and were wearing tracksuits.

A second eyewitness told how an older man tried to assist the teenagers: "I'm not sure if the man was simply passing by or came from the university's building but he challenged the guy that had the bottle, but the youth shouted out to his friends for help and they then began to attack him.

"You don't expect to see this kind of incident in the city at this time of the evening, it's very frightening indeed."

A Strathclyde Police spokesperson said: "We were called to an incident on Montrose Street at 6.25pm on Tuesday evening. A number of youths were involved and four people were injured."

She added: "Our enquiries are ongoing and we are appealing for anyone who may have seen this incident, or who may have seen youths loitering in the area, to contact us at Stewart Street police station on 0141 532 3000."