SEVEN young members have left a marching band after it twice fell victim to Britain's growing yob culture.

Worried parents have withdrawn the youngsters from the popular Blyth Hearts Marching and Display Band following the most recent incident where members and supporters came under attack from a 15-strong gang of youths brandishing sticks.

An ambulance had to be called when band leader Alan Davison, 71, was left semi-conscious by a large stone which was thrown at his head during the fracas at Bearpark Community Centre, in County Durham.

An 18-year-old female band member was punched and kicked during the incident and others were left badly shocked as yobs forced their way into the centre.

Just a week earlier, the band's bus was given a police escort out of Dumfries after members and supporters were threatened by a seven-strong gang of youths armed with sticks when they stopped for refreshments on the way home from performing at a town carnival in the Scottish Borders.

Yesterday, (Mon) Mr Davison, of Ingram Drive, Cowpen Farm Estate, Blyth, said the band - which has been going since 1981 - had been left "totally disgusted" by the incident in Bearpark and the police response to it.

He said: "This sort of yob culture is going on all over the country but what happened at Bearpark could have been a lot more serious and someone could easily have been badly injured. We travel all over the country to perform and compete but we have not had anything as bad as this before.

"We have lost about seven kids as a result of the incident because their parents don't want them involved in things like this. It is a real shame because we are keeping youngsters off the streets and giving them a hobby, so I hope to persuade the parents to let them come back."

Mr Davison said the latest incident, which also followed the theft of equipment from the band's coach earlier in August, happened as the party prepared to settle down for the night in the Bearpark centre.

He said: "There must have been some name calling earlier on at a nearby shop between some of our youngsters and local youths, but then 15 of them arrived armed with sticks, a bat and a large stone and tried to force their way into the centre.

"I had my three-year-old great grandson with me and was very concerned for the younger kids there.

"After a struggle they were pushed out, but not before hitting some of the older members. Everyone was in a state of panic, some were screaming and some of the children ran to the upper floor and locked themselves in.

"The older members and supporters were struggling to keep these louts at bay.

"Eventually, I was hit in the face with this large stone which cut my head and burst my lip and caused me to fall semi-conscious to the floor. There were fisticuffs and it was absolute mayhem. The police eventually arrived and arrested a couple of these thugs, and a third the following day.

"On the Sunday I got a call from the police saying they had all been let off with a caution because they were just 15-years-old and it was their first offence, but I am certain the instigator of the whole thing was in his 20s.

"We are totally disgusted at what happened, and also by the lack of police action."

A spokesman for Durham Police confirmed that officers had been called to reports of a group of youths causing trouble at Bearpark community centre just after 10pm on August 25.

He said details were not available last night of arrests or any action taken against those involved.