TWO Hungarian youngsters, including a 12-year-old girl, have been beaten up by a gang of 15 drunken yobs in a picturesque village.

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

And the two youngsters, who were assaulted outside St Bede's RC Comprehensive School in Lanchester, have vowed to become lifelong fans of Newcastle United Football Club after receiving the club's shirts, bags, caps and a box of goodies - all 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 a small number of the gang began hitting the two victims in the face.

The two were shocked but were not badly injured.

Consett and Stanley police were called in to investigate the crime and decided to have a whip-round 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 Sgt Peter Dawson of Derwentside Police. "They were in a bad way on Saturday morning although they're OK now. Hopefully they'll 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."

Headteacher of St Bede's 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 added that the children had enjoyed their time at St Bede's and had gone to Beamish Museum, Durham City and the Farne Islands.

He said that St Bede's is an international school, which sends sixth formers to India and is twinned with a school in Omagh in Northern Island.

l Two youngsters, who were arrested in connection with the attack, have been released on police bail. More youngsters are expected to be questioned by police but as yet no-one has been charged