Plea for help after teenage football fan kicked unconscious

Ben Neale was kicked in the head during the attack and his mother is now appealing for any information to help police track down those responsible.

Ben was at the Stourbridge FC versus Halesowen Town game on August 28. He had been supporting his home town of Halesowen.

After the game, the teenager and his friends were walking from the high street in Stourbridge to the bus station when they were attacked in an underpass.

The family believe Ben was attacked by 15 to 20 thugs and they are now appealing for information to catch his attackers.

'Disgusting'

Mother Carol Parsons said: “He went to the game with friends and when they were walking back a group of thugs went for Ben’s friends.

"They ran off but managed to get hold of Ben and they knocked him unconscious with the kicks and punches.

“It’s disgusting, there’s no way you think this would happen to your son, it’s so scary.

"The problem is there are no cameras down there and we need information on what happened.

“The only thing he remembers after the attack began was being carried to the bus station and being put on a bus by someone he knew from school.

"If this boy hadn’t have got him home to me I don’t know what would have happened.

“I’m so grateful, if it wasn’t for him the doctor said he might not have woken up if he had carried on being getting kicked in the head.

"This was the second Halesowen game Ben had been to and now he never wants to go back.

"I won’t let him go either, I’m always checking up on him now and seeing he’s alright, I’m so worried.”

The Windsor High School student, who is the fifth youngest of six children, was taken to Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley where he was treated for his injuries.

Plea for help

As well as being desperate for information on the attack, Carol does not think the police are doing enough.

She said: “The police haven’t come out once to see us, it’s all been over the phone and we still haven’t got anywhere.

“They don’t understand and I was even told to appeal for information myself.

“Surely someone can help me as the police aren’t.

"The police have told me now that they have some footage but they need to figure out what street it is on.

“I’ve been told to look around Stourbridge and see if I can figure out what street it is, but surely that’s the police’s job? I don’t even know Stourbridge that well

"To anyone who has any information on what happened, please help, we need to find out who did this to my son.

"I'd be so grateful to anyone who comes forward with information, it would mean so much to us."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “The investigation is on-going and we are currently following up leads for possible CCTV evidence.”