RACISTS yobs who pounced on a car and smashed the back window with a bottle of beer were today urged by police to give themselves up.

The gang left a 31-year-old driver and his 29-year-old passenger fearing for their lives.

The victims, who are both Asian, were travelling in a white Toyota Corolla, when the vicious attack happened in Bank Street, Darwen, shortly after 9pm on Sunday.

They were subjected to to a barrage of racist abuse and the vehicle was repeatedly kicked.

Inspector Stuart Coates, of Darwen Police, today vowed to catch the culprits and has released a picture of eight people thought to be at the scene which was caught on CCTV cameras. He said: "This was clearly an unprovoked racist attack on two innocent people who were going about their business.

"Both victims were terrified and said they thought they were going to die. It is a miracle they were not seriously hurt by flying glass.

"The passenger is new to the area and it was not the sort of welcome he should have got. Fortunately this type of crime is very rare in Darwen and we want to keep it that way. We are confident the offenders will be caught and it would be in their interest to give themselves up."

The driver, a shop manager, who lives in Darwen, heard a loud bang when somebody kicked the car.

He slowed down at a junction and was confronted by a group of between four and eight white men in their 20s. One of them jumped on the bonnet of the car and started to taunt the friends through the windscreen while others stood around the car and continued to kick it, forcing the frightened pair to lock the doors.

The back window was eventually smashed when a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale was thrown at it.

Afterwards the gang walked away and were later seen standing outside the nearby The Millstone pub.

The man who jumped on the bonnet was 5ft 8ins, with untidy collar length light brown hair. He had a medium build, drawn cheekbones and a slightly deformed mouth, raised eyebrows, protruding teeth and was wearing a beige Stone Island jacket with a distinctive badge on the sleeve.

Another offender was wearing a red top, his accomplice wore a blue top and one man had a wedge style hair cut which was dark brown at the side and sandy blonde on top.

Anybody with information about the crime is asked to ring Darwen police on 01254 701777 or Crimestoppers free and in confidence on 0800 555111.

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