A 16-year-old boy has been left seriously injured in a single-punch attack in Clitheroe.

The force of the blow split Tom Rawson's jaw in two before he was knocked unconscious when his head hit the pavement.

He has undergone surgery to repair two fractures and fit a metal plate inside his mouth with steel screws.

Tom’s mum Sharon said she had been horrified that her son had been subjected to such a ‘mindless’ attack.

Ms Rawson said Tom, a pupil at Ribblesdale High School, had gone to a party in Whitewell Drive with some friends and his girlfriend on Friday night.

She said two older teenagers turned up at the party and began taunting Tom and his girlfriend.

The mother-of-three, from Waddington Road, said: “They were antagonising Tom over his girlfriend and because they are a good-looking couple these older guys just kept picking on them and saying abusive things.

“Tom decided he's had enough and he left the party but these absolute thugs followed him outside and attacked him."

The youngster, who is studying for his GCSE exams, left the house at around 9pm and was attacked on the street.

Ms Rawson added: “They followed him and started hurling abuse at him.

"When he turned around one of them smacked him in the face.

"It was just one punch and he fell to the ground.

“It is absolutely disgraceful that they attacked a harmless young lad who had been walking away at the time.

"I can't understand why anyone would be so violent.”

When Tom came round he managed to stagger back to the friend’s house.

They alerted the emergency services.

Ms Rawson added: “He was covered in blood and I got a phone call from his girlfriend who was hysterical.

"I couldn't believe this was happening.

“When I got to him he was in the back of the ambulance and his jaw had been split in two with a quarter of an inch gap between his teeth.

"It was horrific.

"We are all really shocked and upset by this attack.

"He is so young and such a nice lad and to have been subjected to such mindless violence is just awful.

"Fortunately, he has no scars to his face because the surgeons did such a good job.

"I can't thank them and the police enough for everything that they did.”

Tom underwent surgery at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

The attack dislocated his jaw at both sides, broke it in two places and chipped some of his teeth.

The ‘vicious’ assault has echoes of the killing of Adam Rogers.

Mr Rogers died in July 2009 after being struck once while acting as a peacemaker between two groups in Blackburn town centre.

He suffered serious injuries when his head banged against the pavement after being felled.

It prompted the Lancashire Telegraph to launch the Every Action Has Consequences campaign with the Rogers family in a bid to highlight the dangers of spontaneous violence.

Last night Mr Rogers’ mum Pat warned that the death of her son showed how such attacks could easily end.

She added: “We are sick of this violence.”

Mrs Rogers said: “I am really sorry that this has happened to this young man.

"People just don't seem to realise that what seems to be this recreational violence can lead to such serious injuries.

”This young man will go through a lot of pain but happily he still has his life.

"What happened to Adam is something no-one can move on from.

"We are sick of this violence and when youngsters go out they shouldn't have to worry about it.

“I hope that the people who did this are made to face the consequences.”

Detective Constable Elaine Smalley, of Clitheroe Police, said: “This was a vicious attack and I would urge anyone who witnessed it to come forward.”

Two men, aged 17 and 18, have been arrested in connection with the incident and have been released on police bail until July 21.

Comments unavailable on this story for legal reasons.