A GIRL filmed being beaten by a gang of teenagers has been praised by her Thai boxing coach for not retaliating.

Lauren Edmunds, 16, from Darlington, suffered a broken nose when she was attacked by the laughing teenagers.

The Northern Echo reported yesterday how Lauren was lured into Thursday's attack, which was filmed on mobile phones, by friends pretending they were celebrating GCSE results.

Lauren yesterday revealed how she had to restrain herself from using her Thai boxing skills.

Lauren has been a Thai boxing student for two years. She was praised for not reacting to the attack because Thai boxing is illegal when used outside a safe environment.

Lauren said: "I had a call from my Thai boxing instructor telling me how well I had done not to retaliate. I could probably have done some damage if I had used my skills, but I knew straight away there was no way I could do it. I would have got into more trouble than my attackers."

She had spent the day with her family celebrating her results, which included an A* and three As among her 11 exams.

In the evening, she was invited by friends to a party. After she met the group at a bus stop in Middleton St George, near Darlington, she was set upon by one of the girls.

Lauren, who was a pupil at Hurworth School, is now going to college to take A-levels in sport, psychology and maths.

She suffered a black eye, broken nose and bruising.

She said: "I feel really let down. I thought they were decent people, but obviously they aren't. I will probably have to see them again when I go to college, and I have no idea how I will react."

Councillor Doris Jones, who represents Middleton St George and also sits on Darlington Borough Council's public protection scrutiny committee, said teenagers often congregated out of sight at the bus stop.

She is due to meet housing developers today to have the bus stop replaced.

Coun Jones said she was also upset the number of beat police officers covering Middleton St George was cut to only one for the entire rural area around Darlington earlier this year.

She said: "One police officer to cover all the rural areas is ludicrous. What happens as a result is yob culture has taken over the streets."

A 16-year-old girl has been bailed by police pending inquiries.