A mum has described the horrific moment she found out her son was attacked by a group of men wielding machetes.

The 16-year-old boy was slashed on his hands and arms with the knife while he cowered in a bin shed outside Brierfield House, a block of flats on Lancaster Road, in Droylsden.

He was taken to hospital and underwent plastic surgery to his hands.

The teenager has since been released from hospital, but is unable to use his hands while he recovers.

No arrests have taken place following the terrifying attack which took place on Saturday, July 11, at around 9.40pm.

Around the same time of the attack police were alerted to gun shots fired on nearby York Road.

Detectives are investigating whether the two incidents are linked.


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The boy's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the family have been left traumatised since the incident and said her son has been struggling with nightmares.

She said a neighbour alerted her to the incident on Saturday night and she raced around the corner to find her son lying on towels, covered in blood, after being slashed.

The 40-year-old, from Droylsden, told the M.E.N: "He was with his five friends hanging out, walking in the area.

A police cordon on Leicester Avenue and Lancaster Road

"They heard footsteps and cars screeching. His friends started running. He ran into a bin shed, he didn't hear the cars.

"He popped his head out, he could see nine or 10 men with masks on and hoods up.

"One of them had a massive machete, he said he heard gun shots.

"His instinct was to put his hands up to his head, they chopped his arms and hands six times. The other guy hit him on the side of his thigh with a hammer.

"They ran off into the car."

The victim suffered lacerations to his hands and arms after the attack

She added: "A woman knocked on my door and said your son has been stabbed.

"I ran out to the drive and jumped in a car. I was saying 'I am the mum', he was covered in towels in a neighbours house. I was screaming.

"Police blocked the road off, and the ambulance took him to hospital."

The boy underwent plastic surgery while in hospital, including wires put in his finger to enable him to use his hand again.

He was released from hospital after undergoing physio, but still cannot use his hands.

The teenager was due to start college in September on a car mechanic course, but now may not be able to if his hands do not heal in time.

His mum said: "It has made me jumpy, he is jumpy and having nightmares. I have been sleeping at the side of him.

"He is very nervous, he won't go in the garden, he is scared of the wind at the moment.

"People need to know the mental effects knife crime has on families.

"He had just been accepted to study at college. Now he can't use his hands, we don't know if he will be able to study or the effect on his hands for the rest of his life.

"Every day we wake up, it still feels like it happened the night before. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5887, quoting incident number 3004 of 11/07/20.

Reports can be made anonymously to the independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.