A van driver has described the moment he intervened in a ‘brutal’ assault by a gang of school children on a man cowering on the floor.

Delivery driver Andy Boyle, 37, was driving through Rochdale when he saw what he thought was a group of teenage boys kicking a football - only to realise it was a man’s head.

Andy, a former St John’s Ambulance worker, immediately drove his van towards the gang, beeping the horn - then gave chase as they ran away.

He then went back to help the victim - a man believed to be in his 30s who had been left covered in blood with an eye injury.

A group of pupils at Falinge Park High School have now been suspended pending an investigation into the attack, which happened on Whitecross Street around 8am on Thursday.

Andy, who lives in Oldham, says he saw around five boys, aged 14-15, surround the man and repeatedly kick his head as he lay curled in the foetal position on the floor.

The victim, who has not been identified, staggered from the scene covered in blood before police arrived and has not been traced.

Andy said: “As I turned onto Whitehall Street I thought for a second they were kicking a football, then I realised there was someone on the floor.

“It was absolutely brutal.

“They were like a group of animals - the man was in the foetal position and they were kicking his head like a football.

“I drove towards them flashing my lights and beeping my horn and I gave chase for a bit.

“The man himself didn’t seem to want any help and started to walk off but he was quite badly injured, especially his eye, and covered in blood.

“I thought the school kids would get caught because either they were going to turn up at school covered in blood or not turn up at all.

“I hope they can be punished for what they have done, even if the man involved doesn’t come forward.”

Teachers at Falinge Park High called police after learning of the attack.

The school would not say how many pupils had been suspended but confirmed disciplinary action had been taken and the incident had been reported to the police.

Police are still trying to trace the victim of the attack.

Anyone with information about the incident attack is asked to call police on 101.