POLICE have slammed the "feral" yobs who attacked Robert Maltby and Sophie Lancaster.

And Detective Inspector Dean Holden underlined his point by describing the groups' antics from the night before the attack.

Mr Holden said: "To demonstrate the kind of feral behaviour that had been going on that night, Ryan Herbert took a young girl's virginity, as a result of which she was left bleeding quite heavily in the park.

"He was then said to have been going around bragging about it."

On the night of the attack police said that most of the yobs had been drinking.

They all knew each other from congregating at the skate-park and had been drinking at The Cage behind the Rose and Bowl in Stacksteads earlier that night.

Mr Holden said the yobs seemed to be out of any sort of control.

He said: "These kids have got the best facilities young people can get.

"What happened is repulsive and appalling.

"While they don't assault everyone every night this is the kind of stuff that's going on.

"We believe they were attacked because of the way they were dressed.

"Rob was described as a 'mosher' before the attack on him commenced."

Police initially investigated whether the attack had been a "happy slapping" incident and seized mobile phones. However that proved not to be the case.

It also emerged that Harris had a previous conviction after chasing a youth out of Stubbylee Park and assaulting him.

He was given a six-month community service order at Rossendale Youth Court for the attack in April last year.

He targeted a 16-year-old boy who was in their group as he kicked and stamped on him.