A FRENCH visitor was beaten up by thugs then thrown into a river after being 'befriended' by the three men in Clitheroe.

The 21-year-old man, from Fontainbleu University, managed to climb out of the river and call an ambulance. Nothing was stolen in the attack but he suffered cuts and bruising.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.