AN inter-family feud over teenage romance ended with two men going on to a high school campus armed with a baseball bat and a hammer.

Blackburn magistrates heard that a 14 year old boy was hit over the head with the bat and a school friend who went to his aid was struck on the back of the head with the hammer.

One of the assailants was sent to a youth offending institute for 28 days, for what district judge Malcolm Lloyd described as an extremely serious offence.

"Whatever provocation there was this was not the way any civilised person should respond," said Mr Jones.

Zaid Mohammed Tantwala, 18, of Addison Street, Blackburn, and Shiraz Hussain, 18, of Lancaster Place, Blackburn, both pleaded guilty to assault. Tantawala was sentenced to 28 days in young offenders institute and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £30 costs. Hussain was ordered to do 180 hours community punishment and pay £100 compensation and £30 costs.

Mr Jones told Hussain that he would also have been sent to young offenders institute but for the fact that he had no previous convictions. Ordering reports, the magistrates said they viewed the offences as very serious.

Clare Fanning, prosecuting, said there had been a previous fight between Tantwala and one of the 14 year old boys who were assaulted.

"The reason for that fight was that the boy had been going out with Tantwala's 14 year old sister and his family did not approve," said Miss Fanning.

On the day of the incident Tantwala and Hussain had gone to Beardwood High School armed with the baseball bat and hammer and Tantwala made it known he was looking for the boy. He said the boy was told some youths were coming for him.

Someone shouted a warning and he turned to see Tantwala running at him brandishing a large, wooden baseball bat. He swung it and struck the boy a glancing blow on the back of the head then another to the side of the head.

Other pupils went to the boy's assistance and one of them grabbed hold of the bat to stop Tantwala hitting the boy again. That boy was hit on the back of the head with the hammer by Hussain. The first boy told how he had been extremely frightened during the attack. He was dazed and felt sick after the blows and was taken to Blackburn Infirmary.

The second boy had felt 'excruciating' pain and there had been blood running from a cut on the back of his head. Kevin Preston, defending, said Tantwala's sister had ended the relationship with the boy on the instructions of her family. As a result, she began to suffer abuse at the hands of the boy and his friends.

"She was verbally abused and also spat on," said Mr Preston. "On this occasion my clients were walking past the school when someone ran out and said the sister had just been spat on again," he said. "Unfortunately, the red mist descended."