A DAD has spoken of his distress after his 14-year-son was assaulted by a gang for the second time in two weeks.

Ben Clifton, of Newton Street, Blackburn, was taken to hospital on Sunday after a gang of 30 youths stormed onto the pitch where he was football training.

They punched him in the face before kicking him when he fell.

He said he was attacked by some of the same people a fortnight ago, and now his dad Philip Clifton wants to move house to get away from the perpetrators.

Ben, a pupil at Our Lady and St John Catholic Arts College, was training with the Blackburn Athletic football team at Audley Junior School's playing fields.

He said: "We were about five minutes from the end of the session when they turned up out of nowhere.

"There was about 20 of us training plus the manager and assistant managers, but the gang came straight for me.

"They said I was asking for a fight, I said I wasn't but then they chased me and one punched me in the face.

"My mates and the manager tried to help me but there were too many of them."

A police spokesperson said: "It appears one offender out of a group of 30 Asian males punched the victim with no provocation.

"The boy fell down and others in the group kicked him. The gang made off when they heard police sirens.

"At the moment this is not being treated as racially motivated."

Mr Clifton, of Newton Street, said: "This is the second time Ben has been targeted.

"We've lived here happily for 12 years but now I want to move."