Two gay men thought they were 'going to die' after they were left bloodied and bruised by eight balaclava-clad thugs in a suspected homophobic attack.
Daniel Timothy, 31, and Jordan Brook, 36, were left with cut eye sockets, scars and swollen faces following the 'frightening' assault on Tuesday night.
The incident unfolded outside Blackburn Train Station, Lancs., at around 12.20am after they had arrived back from Manchester with Jordan's mum.
They had just been to see 'Burlesque The Musical' but then encountered a group of men who issued homophobic abuse and threats of violence towards them.
The couple had just been to see a musical (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)
Daniel has opened up about the terrifying incident (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)Station staff separated them, but as the couple waited for a taxi, the group hurled further taunts at them before pulling on masks and "charging" at them.
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They mostly targeted Jordan by kicking him as he lay on the ground, but both men said they feared they might not survive the horrifying ordeal.
Daniel said: "In that moment we feared he was going to die that's for me personally, as well. Once the kicking started in the head, I didn't know when that was going to go on until. That was a very real fear for me in that moment."
"We wanted to go and see the show for its celebration of queerness, and we'd had an amazing night. So to have just experienced that when we were just minding our own business - for the fact that we were gay - on our own doorstep is scary. We got attacked not far from the town centre. This is the area where we do everything in, and I don't feel safe anymore."
Jordan's injuries after the attack (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)
Daniel was also injured (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)Lancashire Police said they had arrested eight people, aged 17 and 23, on suspicion of assault following the incident and were treating it as a 'homophobic assault'. They have all since been bailed pending further inquiries.
Daniel, a customer support officer, said the pair first received abuse from a young man as they used the men's toilet at Blackburn train station. He then appeared to issue more worrying physical threats before he was pulled away by two of his friends.
And the couple then left with Jordan's mum, who sadly has terminal cancer, for an exit where they could catch a taxi home after telling staff about the issue.
But the three men, who were then joined by five others, spotted them from across the street and began to hurl more abuse their way, making fun of Jordan's mum. Daniel said Jordan, a hairdresser, had responded verbally to these cruel taunts, but the gang had then replied by pulling on masks and attacking them.
Daniel says he was kicked in the head (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)
Jordan has been in "a lot of pain" since the assault (Daniel Timothy / SWNS)He said: "They just charged across the road. Initially, most of them went for Jordan, and they got him on the ground and were all kicking him in the head."
"I was trying to fight a couple of them, just to get some off him. And I ended up on the ground with another guy and I ended up getting kicked in the head off two others as well. That was just a bit of a blur until it was over. In the end, someone who we knew came across and tried to get them off us."
He added: "Jordan's mum was a witness to the whole thing and was just crying the whole time, watching her son getting his head stamped on. I remember getting up and just loads of blood dripping in clumps out of my eye. Jordan at this point, after they got the lads off him, was curled up in a fetal position, trying to protect his head."
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Daniel said police had arrived at the scene soon after the incident had started and had arrested all the men involved. He and Jordan were then whisked to hospital in an ambulance and were treated for their head and chest injuries.
Daniel said: "Jordan had a lot of swelling and bumps on the right side of his face. And he had a very visible trainer mark on his forehead. Luckily, nothing is broken."
"He got stamped on his chest, and his been in a lot of pain. He can't see out of his left eye at the moment, he's got an ulcer behind it from dirt getting in. The injuries look horrific, doctors said he was very, very lucky." He added: "I still have a split eyelid, which has left a scar, above my left eye."
A Lancashire Police spokesperson said their inquiries were still ongoing. They said: "We were called at about 12.05am on June 18 to a report of an assault in Railway Road, Blackburn. Two men were assaulted by a group of males outside the railway station. Thankfully their injuries are not life-threatening."
"Eight people aged between 17 and 23 from Blackburn have been arrested on suspicion of assault and are in custody. Enquiries are ongoing into the incident which is being treated as a homophobic assault."
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