THE furious mum of a 12-year-old girl who was attacked by a teenage gang in a Colchester beauty spot has blasted police for failing to properly investigate the incident.

The schoolgirl was in Castle Park when she was set upon by the group of up to 30 teenagers who dragged her along the ground by her hair and tried to throw her into a pond.

The incident - which is said to have been videoed by some of the gang - only ended when a passer-by spotted the attack and went to help the girl.

When the Good Samaritan arrived on the scene, the group ran off, leaving the victim injured and shaken.

Despite an emergency call to the police, officers were not sent to the scene and police say any statement from the woman who helped the girl would not be enough to bring a prosecution.

The victim’s mum, who we agreed not to name to keep her daughter anonymous, said: “It is absolutely appalling. My daughter has been through hell only for the police to effectively tell her there is nothing they can do.

“We know who it was and we’ve given the police names.

“There is a statement from the witness who saw it all.

“She was one person out of however many people in a busy Castle Park who actually helped my daughter.

“It is just a poor way of dealing with the whole thing.

“My daughter is always the one who is outgoing and quite open and outgoing but she’s now withdrawn and doesn’t want to go into town.

“The way she has been treated is appalling.

“What if it happens again? I won’t be calling the police, that’s for sure.

“The people who did it must think they can get away with it - and they have.”

Within hours of the Gazette asking Essex Police for a comment yesterday, the mum was contacted and told a new officer had been assigned to her daughter’s case and each witness and suspect are to be re-interviewed.

The attack, which took place on May 13, was one of a spate of antisocial behaviour incidents in the town centre, which included a Colchester Council park ranger being kicked and punched by a gang as he locked the park gates.

READ MORE: 'Park ranger attacked by gang of teens'

The Roman walls have also been scarred with graffiti by a mystery gang, caught in the act by Conservative Castle Ward councillor, Darius Laws.

Colchester public safety boss Mike Lilley (Lab), who is calling for more police on Colchester’s streets, said: “Clearly what occurred on this occasion was totally unacceptable and the police have apologised.

“But they are in a difficult position because they now have not got the numbers. It’s a terrible situation we find ourselves in.”

He added: “We know police were aware of it but nothing was done.

“We also understand one of the gang filmed the assault and the fact that it took so long gave them the chance to delete it all.”

He added: “One the one hand [the police] are trying to cope with an influx of highly organised drug gangs and on the other, numbers have been cut to the bone.

“It is crucial as a starting point that the cuts to the number of police community support officers patrolling the town centre is reversed - it used to be 40 but it is now eight. That is ludicrous.

“We need a presence in the town in order to free up full-time officers with the power of arrest to deal with drug crime and much else.”