A student in Oldham was hit in the head with a claw hammer and “stomped on” on Saturday — the third ‘Asian’ gang attack in Oldham, Greater Manchester, this month.

The 20-year-old victim and a friend, also 20, were “jumped” while walking home from a takeaway near the King Street Metrolink stop shortly after 3 a.m., the Manchester Evening News reports.

“I got up and tried to fight them off. I just thought ‘what am I going to do?’,” the friend told the newspaper, having managed to struggle to his feet and escape after being punched to the ground.

“I ran over to the tram stop to try and get help. I was shouting at them to get off him. They were stomping on him and hit him with the hammer.”

Three teenage boys arrested over sickening Metrolink attack in Oldham, which was captured on CCTV https://t.co/dRX0bdZwpd pic.twitter.com/e7YXQ6SCoa — ITV Granada Reports (@GranadaReports) March 24, 2018

The young man who was hit with the hammer said they had been “walking home to Werneth and then got this big push from behind and fell to the floor” by a group of males described as ‘Asian’.

“I stayed down for the rest of it, I didn’t manage to get back up.

“They hit me with a metal claw hammer. I had someone holding me down going through my pockets and the other one hit me around the head several times with a hammer.

“I just said ‘take what you want leave us alone’.”

The pair were treated in hospital for cuts, bruises, and swelling, with the victim who was struck with the hammer remarking that it was “really lucky” they were not “hurt more”.

The gang robbed both victims of their mobile phones, wallets, a driving licence, a passport, and a set of keys.

A man has been dragged from a car and attacked with a hammer in #Oldham. https://t.co/OVJ7wOSXoq — G M Police (@gmpolice) March 23, 2018

Two other victims of ‘Asian’ gang attacks this month have been far less fortunate, suffering serious, life-threatening injuries.

On March 22nd, a gang of seven dragged a man in his 40s from his car shortly after he got off a tram at the Derker Metrolink stop and attacked him with a hammer, leaving him with a bleed on the brain, a fractured cheek, broken ribs, and a broken nose, before driving away in his car and two other vehicles, one of which was stolen.

On March 8th, a 49-year-old getting off a tram at Freehold Metrolink stop on Block Lane was subject to an even more shocking attack, as three men described as “Asian teenage boys aged between 15 and 18” by police knocked him unconscious and kicked and stamped on his head over 100 times.

The gang returned to continue their attack on the already unconscious man on three separate occasions even after another tram pulled up at the station opposite.

The attack, which is being treated as an attempted murder, was only broken off when passengers on that tram pulled the emergency brakes, with the driver leaving his vehicle to try and scare the young men off, and passengers forcing the doors to run to the victim’s aid.

“Not only did these men target an innocent man for no apparent reason, they subjected him to a sustained and brutal attack and the footage is absolutely shocking,” commented Detective Sergeant John Coleman.

“How anyone could kick a defenceless man in the head as he lay unconscious is almost unbelievable but for them to return on three separate occasions to continue their assault and then leave him bleeding on the platform is beyond comprehension.

“The fact the victim not only survived but is now on the road to recovery is pretty incredible.

“We know a tram stopped on the opposite side of the tracks at the time of the attack and I would urge anyone who has any video footage to please send it in to us as a matter of urgency. It could be vital to finding the people responsible.”

Anyone with information should contact the police on 0161 856 8267 quoting reference number 2239 of 08/03/18.

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery