A STUDENT today spoke of his horror after he and his friend suffered serious injuries in an attack just hours after he returned home from university for Christmas.

The two students met up for a drink and were on their way home when they were involved in an incident with a group of youths in the Montague Street area of Blackburn just after 11pm on Saturday.

Police today said one of the young men will be left with permanent scarring as a result.

The incident, which police said involved a knife, happened as the pair walked along Hope Street.

Lee Davies, 23, a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, had just returned to Blackburn for his Christmas holidays and had only been back in the town for four hours.

He said: "This is a great welcome back to Blackburn. I've been fine in Leeds and have been home for four hours and this happens."

He and his friend Ryan Bates, 19, a student at Blackburn College, had been walking home after a night out at the Cellar Bar.

The 23-year-old student said: "We were walking up to Preston New Road when we realised we were being followed.

He said: "I have swelling to my face. My friend was worse and has a cut down his face from his ear his chin. He needed 30 stitches and will be scarred permanently.

"This has really annoyed me, I won't walk home any more -- I will get a taxi instead."

Sgt Paul Murphy, of Blackburn police, said: "This has resulted in substantial life-long scars to an innocent person."

Sgt Murphy said that it was possible people coming out of The Bank pub in Hope Street may have seen the attack and appealed to them to ring Blackburn CID on 01254 353564.

Landlady of the Bank Doreen O'Grady said: "This is normally a quiet street."

Three teenaged men and a 16-year-old girl from the Johnston Street area of Blackburn were due to appear before Blackburn magistrates today charged with unlawful wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on Lee Davies.

One of the men, an 18-year-old is also charged with committing the same offence on Ryan Bates.