YOUTHS who racially abused and assaulted two black families at a railway station in East Lancashire are being sought by transport police.

Teenagers hurled racist abuse at two sisters and their young children at Rosegrove station, near Burnley, before punching one of the women in the face.

Police have condemned the unprovoked attack and are seeking eyewitnesses to the attack, on the Burnley-bound platform.

It is believed that the youths boarded the Northern Rail service at either Blackburn or Accrington station.

The women and youngsters were approached by the pair, who began making racist comments and obscene gestures towards them.

Eventually the women left the train at Rosegrove but the youths followed them, with one of them climbing down on the tracks to throw stones at one of the women.

And when her sister challenged the youth, still standing on the platform, he became aggressive and punched her in the face.

Poilce say both youths then ran off down the tracks towards Burnley Central station.

PC David Hewitson, of British Transport Police, said: “The behaviour of these youths was disgraceful and I am calling on the public to help us trace them.

“The subjected a family to an unprovoked and frightening racist assault and we will do everything in our power to bring them to justice, but to do so we need help from the public.”

The youths were aged around 14 or 15, had short dark hair and were wearing dark tracksuits. The incident took place on April 3 or 4.

Witnesses are asked to call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, quoting incident 294 of April 4, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.