Sean Kearney with his mother Jenny 77015-23A GANG of thugs viciously assaulted a teenager with a ninja weapon having chased him through the town centre.

And now the victim's mother is calling for tighter controls on the sale of martial arts weapons on the internet after the yobs used a nunchaku on her son.

Sixteen-year-old Sean Kearney is now recovering after being assaulted with one of the weapons two wooden or metal handles attached by a chain.

The nunchaku popularised in Bruce Lee films and used by Japanese ninjas is only meant to be used by experts in combat sports.

Shops can only sell them to over-18s.

But they are easily available on the internet for as little as £9.99, and can cause serious injury in the wrong hands.

Luckily, Sean escaped with only cuts and bruises, but he has been badly shaken up, and won't go near the centre of town.

He was walking with his girlfriend along East Street near the junction with Faringdon Road when a thug lunged at him with one of the weapons.

The attacker was one of a gang who had been following the pair through the town centre, trying to pick a fight with Sean.

"I was really scared when I saw the weapon," said Sean, an NVQ student at Swindon College.

"He went for my legs, hitting the back of my calf muscles.

"My leg just went numb.

"Then he swung at my face, cutting my cheek."

Sean grappled with the boy who he knew vaguely but others joined in, hitting him around the head.

Terrified, he broke free and ran into Holmes' Music in Faringdon Road to seek sanctuary.

But the gang of nine older youths seven boys and two girls chased him in there.

"I just ran up to this guy and asked him to help," said Sean, of Draycot Foliat, near Chiseldon.

"I sat in the shop, and the shock kicked in, I was really panicking."

A customer a former police woman managed to control the gang, shepherding them out of the shop.

Meanwhile the police were called, and Sean was taken to A&E for a check-up.

He needed emergency dental surgery for a filling which had been knocked loose, and was told to expect bruising to come out in the next few days.

But the main damage has been to his self-confidence.

He is too fearful to enter the centre, and hasn't been to college since the attack on Wednesday afternoon.

His mother Jenny, 42, wants websites selling the weapons to be shutdown.

"I was horrified when I looked on the internet and saw how easy it is to get these things," said Mrs Kearney, who has four other children.

"Sean was so lucky not to be more badly injured. The thing is that kids see them in films and video games and want to buy them.

"We need tighter controls."

The Adver discovered several UK-based sites selling the weapons and offering advice on how they should be used.

Anyone who witnessed the assault at 5pm on Wednesday should call Swindon police on 01793 528111.