Sign up to FREE email alerts from YorkshireLive - ExaminerLive Daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A 15-STRONG gang attacked a young man after chasing him for almost half-a-mile.

The 19-year-old was walking down Manchester Road, Thornton Lodge, at 9.30pm on Saturday to meet his girlfriend when he saw the gang standing on a grass verge on St Thomas’ Road.

They started to chase him and he fled along Manchester Road and then up steps next to St Thomas’ Church at Longroyd Bridge to Water Street in Springwood.

The gang cornered him in a garden there and beat him with baseball bats and pieces of wood.

He was left badly bruised and needed treatment at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Det Con Russ Conlon, from Kirklees CID intelligence unit, said: “This was a motiveless attack.

“We would urge anyone who saw this gang hanging around, chasing the victim or the attack itself to come forward.’’

All the attackers are young Asian men and there were about 15 of them.

The ringleader is aged about 20, 5ft 8in tall and slim.

He wore a plain grey hooded top.

Anyone with information should contact Pc James Bellhouse on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.