Kyle Davis, 16, refused to let the violent robbers get the better of him and his friend, despite being stalked through Preston city centre.

The Cardinal Newman College student was left lying on the ground with head and face injuries, his glasses smashed and close to unconsciousness after being hit over the head with a concrete block.

Chilling CCTV images taken in an underpass between the bus station and Guild Hall show the masked pair flanking Kyle and his 16-year-old friend in an attempt to rob them.

Kyle, from Longridge, said: "I tried to put up a fight. I felt angry and didn't want them to take my stuff.

"They have probably done it to lots of people before who haven't challenged them. They seemed a bit stunned, like they didn't expect me to put up a fight.

"It is worrying that this has happened in broad daylight and that they were following us from a very public area."

The boys managed to get into the bus station and thought they were safe but minutes later, as they made their way to college, the criminals caught up with them at the Frog and Bucket car park in Lord's Walk.

One snatched a bag from Kyle's friend, but Kyle refused to hand over his phone and wallet. The student tried to shield himself from repeated punches to his face by the first attacker.As his friend ran for help, Kyle watched in horror as the second picked up a house brick.

The student managed to knock it out of his hand but the first man grabbed him in a headlock and held him while the second hit him over the back of his head.

Kyle, who studies geography, history, ICT and business, said: "I have two black eyes, and a big lump on my head. My nose is so swollen that they can't tell if it is broken or not.

"We had seen them standing at the Obelisk near the Flag Market and thought they looked dodgy. They followed us through the subway and tried to grab my friend but we managed to get away into the bus station.
"We thought we had got rid of them and started to walk back to college. They turned up again on the car park. One said he would give me three seconds to hand over my stuff before he attacked me."

Kyle spent three hours in hospital and the plucky part-time chef had to take the weekend off work but plans to return to college today, saying: "The quicker I get back to normal the better."

Despite several shoppers walking past the incident, nobody tried to help.

Det Insp Keith Lee of Preston police said: "The fact the offenders had their faces covered in broad daylight would suggest they were intent on committing crime, and someone must have noticed them.

"It was a busy time and we would ask anyone who saw anything to contact us on 01772 203203 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."

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