POLICE IN THE North are appealing for witnesses following a sectarian attack on a teenager in Derry at the weekend.

The 15-year-old boy sustained a number of kicks to his head, face and back and a punch to his face on Saturday night.

Inspector William Calderwood said that the 15-year-old was walking along Rossdowney Road with his friends when they were stopped outside a shop by a group of  30 youths.

One of the males in the group described as being at least five-feet-six-inches tall with brown hair and a blonde fringe, aged 16 or 17 and wearing glasses, stopped and spoke to the boy. It was reported this male then called over three other youths who were with him and the 15-year-old boy was assaulted.

The victim was able to get to his feet and run up the road towards a roundabout when a member of the public who was driving by at the time stopped and took the victim home.

The boy then went to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries, which included bruising to his back and face, grazes to his arms and legs and a chipped tooth.

Police are appealing to anyone who was on the Rossdowney Road on Saturday evening between 10.10pm and 10.30pm to contact them.

They are also asking drivers who were travelling on the road around the time of the assault and who have a dash cam fitted to their vehicle to check their footage.

Anyone who has information about this assault is asked to call police at Strand Road on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 731 of 20/05/18.