A TRAINEE teacher who was beaten black and blue by eight students in dinner jackets has criticised the way his case was handled by police.

Hugh Holding, 31, a former student at Durham University, was brutally beaten by a gang of smartly dressed men as he walked home after a night out a year ago.

He suffered a broken jaw, broken nose and shattered nerve endings in his face.

A native of the city was left for dead after the ambush on him and a friend on Prebends Bridge, linking South Bailey and Quarryheads in the city centre.

A year after the assault no-one has been caught and he still has to see a face specialist in Sunderland treat the nerve damage in his face.

The father-of-one, from North Terrace in the city's Framwellgate Moor, said the student community was not properly quizzed by police at the time.

He said: "When a student is beaten up it is given top priority by police. They tell the media and do their best to raise its profile.

"I was beaten up and practically left for dead by around eight students and no-one has been caught. It seems that it wasn't worthy of as much attention."

He was jumped by a group of students after enjoying a night at his former student haunts - Dunelm House and Cuthbert's Bar.

"There was no banter or anything - they just laid into me. I remember wondering whether someone took offence at us turning up at the student bars.

"I was taken to the specialist face unit at Sunderland and had my jaw wired up. I've still got nerve damage in my face and have to go back for check-ups."

A spokesman for County Durham police said the inquiry into the attack is still open. "It is a shame there seems to be little in the way of extra evidence coming forward since the attack," he added.

"All assaults are treated and investigated in exactly the same manner. The detection rate for assaults is usually very high, but unfortunately this appears to be one of those rare exceptions."

Updated: 13.06 Monday, July 16