GAZETTE & HERALD: Two teenage girls were set upon, beaten and dragged to the ground in an unprovoked attack by two young women in Chippenham High Street.

The two 15-year-olds, who live in Chippenham, were sitting on a bench outside the NatWest Bank at around 6.30pm on Thursday when the offenders, who were unknown to the girls, launched their assault.

Both girls were left injured, shocked and distraught and police are keen to hunt down the perpetrators. "They were very shocked and shaken," said investigating officer PC Kane Fulbrook-Smith.

"One girl was crying, and her hair was all over the place where she had been grabbed and hurled about like a rag doll."

The police are keen to find witnesses to the assault and officers are examining CCTV footage in an attempt to work out the identity of the attackers, who are thought to have been drinking.

The two girls were sitting on a bench by the telephone box at the bottom of the High Street between NatWest and Wilkinsons, talking with friends when two other young women, behaving in a rowdy fashion, approached.

One of the women made a comment about the first girl's hair, as she had long, jet black hair in an alternative style, said PC Fulbrook-Smith.

The assailant then grabbed the girl and pulled her off the bench to the ground, punched her in the face and rammed her into the phone box and against a wall.

The victim's friends tried to intervene but the injured girl did not want to aggravate the situation by retaliating.

Eventually she broke free and walked away with a friend, towards the Bridge and Monkton Park, but the attackers launched a second assault on another girl, grabbing her hair and pulling her to the ground, pulling a large chunk of hair from her head.

Wounded and distraught the girls headed for Chippenham Police Station at about 7.15pm and spoke to PC Fulbrook-Smith.

He said they were both very shocked and shaken, and one girl had a large bump on the right hand side of her forehead. The other was holding a large clump of her hair, and had suffered a minor graze on her hand.

One of the victims went to Chippenham Hospital to check out the head injury and a stiff neck, and the police took them home to their parents.

"Their parents were very shaken, to find out this sort of thing should happen in this day and age," said PC Fulbrook-Smith.

"Hopefully we will find those responsible. My inquiries are going quite well and we have some CCTV footage showing the melee. This has been sent to headquarters to enhance the pictures."

He said they way the offenders had behaved suggested they had been drinking and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

"Someone may have been in the area, and the descriptions we have may give some clues. The whole thing has come as quite a shock."

Gary Holloway, manager of Wilkinsons, said he was surprised that such an incident should happen in Chippenham. "It seems to such a nice market town," he said.

The first attacker was described as a white, about 5ft 7ins , slight to medium build, around 17 to 20 years old with long dark hair and wearing a dark jacket.

The second attacker was white, 5ft 5ins, medium to large build, around 17 to 20 years old with blonde hair and wearing a white padded jacket-style coat.

Anyone with information should contact PC Fulbrook-Smith at Chippenham police station on (01249) 654455.