TWO Hungarian youngsters, including a 12-year-old girl, have been attacked by a gang of 15 drunken yobs in a County Durham village.

However, the school exchange pupils also experienced the best of North-East life thanks to local police officers who collected more than £100 to buy football merchandise for the victims.

The two youngsters, who were assaulted outside St Bede's RC Comprehensive School, in Lanchester, have vowed to become life-long fans of Newcastle United Football Club after receiving the club's shirts, bags, caps and a box of goodies bought by Derwentside police.

The two victims, Laszlo Roland Adam, 15, and Zsuzsanna Kupai, 12, were chatting outside the school, where they have been attending for the past week, between 8.30pm and 9pm on Friday, when a gang of up to 15 youngsters aged between 14 and 16 approached them.

After goading the Hungarian children, several members of the gang began hitting the two victims in the face. They were left shocked but not badly injured.

Consett and Stanley police were called in to investigate the crime and decided to have a collection among their colleagues to show the Hungarians the true spirit of the North-East.

"We just wanted them to know that this was not typical of life here in our area," said Sergeant Peter Dawson, of Derwentside Police.

"They were in a bad way on Saturday morning, although they are okay now. Hopefully, they will now know something about our hospitality."

Speaking through an interpreter, Zsuzsanna said she had been shaken up until she met her friends again.

She said: "I've really enjoyed my stay here before and after this happened."

St Bede's headteacher, George Dunn, said: "Three minutes of drunken stupidity came close to ruining everything.

"We want these two and the rest of our Hungarian guests to know that this is not what England is about, and not what the North-East is about," he said.

l Two youths arrested in connection with the attack have been released on police bail. Officers were expecting to question more people last night.

No one had been charged with the crime last night