Gang records fairground beating

A teenage girl is recovering after being badly beaten at a Warwickshire fair, where onlookers videoed the assault on their mobile phones.

Rebecca Swaby, 14, was attacked at Newbold Common in Leamington Spa.

Her mother June Swaby says Rebecca suffered two broken teeth, cut lips and injuries to her vertebrae.

Warwickshire Police said they are taking the incident very seriously, and have allocated additional resources to monitor the situation at the fair.

She's actually got a boot mark in a black bruise on her outer thigh June Swaby

The incident on Saturday night follows the pattern of so-called "happy slapping" attacks in which a victim is set upon while a gang records the assault, usually on mobile phone cameras.

June Swaby told BBC News: "Rebecca was beaten to a pulp by one girl, while another 20 other people stood around videoing it, thinking it was absolutely hilarious.

"She's actually got a boot mark in a black bruise on her outer thigh."

Ms Swaby is critical of the police response, claiming officers know the identity of the offender.

"On the night that this incident happened, the police were informed that the girl who had done this and the gang had returned to the fair, so they could have gone there then."

In a statement Chief Inspector Chris Jackson said: "I understand that there have been several incidents involving youths at the fair.

"Police treat any assault very seriously and an assault on a younger person is just as important as an assault on an older person."