A RETIRED caretaker recovering from leukaemia today spoke of his ordeal at the hands of a gang of teenagers who struck him in the face with a hammer.

Peter Warren, 48, who used to work at the Oakenhead Resource Centre, Rawtenstall, until leukaemia forced him to retire on medical grounds, urged anyone who knew the identity of his attackers to contact the police.

He said: "I was walking down Rochdale Road just past the station steps to go to the George and Dragon when I saw these teenagers; there must have been about six of them and they were aged 14 to 15.

"They were blocking my path and there was a car parked at the side of the road so there was nowhere for me to go to get past them.

"Then the started verbally abusing me and swearing at me and so I tried to barge my way past which is when one of them produced a ball hammer and started hitting me about the head with it. I was struck about two or three times at least and so I tried to defend myself and got hit on the wrist and elbow.

"As I wrestled with him I managed to get the hammer off him and threw it into a nearby hedge.

"They then ran off up the road in the direction of Rochdale and I went on to the pub."

Bachelor Mr Warren, of Sandfield Road, Bacup, was covered in blood when he arrives at the George and Dragon and landlady Carol McLoughlin and a customer cleaned him up and called the police and ambulance.

He was taken to Rochdale Infirmary where he had a deep cut above his right eye glued and stitched. He had also been struck on the cheek, which has left bruising, and he has come out in two black eyes as a result.

He said: "I am very grateful to everyone at the pub for all their help and if I need anything I just have to call them.

"This not stop me going down the pub on a Friday, it is the only night I go out. There is usually an old guy in his 70s who is walking just in front of me on a Friday to go to the pub, I am only glad they didn't set upon him because he couldn't have defended himself."

Mr Warren had treatment for leukaemia in 1997 and is still in remission, he has regular check-ups and should go down to annual checks five years' after treatment.

Because of the radiotherapy and chemotherapy he was not able to have a tetanus injection after the assault and is now on painkillers and antibiotics.

Police said the attack was completely unprovoked and are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of Rochdale Road at 9.50am on Friday to contact 01282 237442.

They have not yet recovered the weapon.