A YOUNG charity worker was kicked unconscious in a vicious street attack.

Repeatedly kicked and punched in the terrifying late night attack in Wigton, 21-year-old Freya Donnelly was left covered in bruises following an assault that is thought to have involved four women and one man.

Police are now investigating.

Freya's mum Carmen Donnelly, 50, a nurse in a Carlisle care home, appealed for witnesses to come forward. She outlined how her daughter was walking home with a friend last Friday after a night out when her five attackers struck.

"She was just walking home," said Carmen. "She doesn't know how long it lasted because she lost consciousness.

"Freya was knocked to the ground, and then kicked and punched. A passer-by in a car stopped and tried to stop it. She was unconscious for 14 minutes."

Freya, a support worker for the charity Turning Point, was kept in Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary overnight, and readmitted the following day after suffering a blackouts and vomiting. She is now recovering at home.

Her mum has no idea why she was targeted.

She added: "The psychological impact will be huge. I want people to know about it because I want witnesses to come forward. Some of the shops in Wigton have CCTV cameras so they may be useful to the police. We're disappointed the police haven't yet spoken to Freya or her friend. It's only a few weeks since somebody was stabbed in the town centre.Wigton's a little pocket of crime."

A Cumbria Police spokesman said officers were called to Market Place in Wigton at around 12.30am on May 18 to a report of a woman being assaulted in the street. "Officers attended and arrested five people on suspicion of assault," said a spokesman."

Police arrested a 25-year-old man and four women, aged 21, 22, 24 and 57. All have been released under investigation.

Sergeant Harley Young anybody with relevant information should get in touch.

"We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have recorded any part of this incident on a mobile phone. Incidents of this nature are taken very seriously and officers are working proactively to tackle disorder and antisocial behaviour in the town – neither of which can be tolerated.”

You can contact police by email at 101@cumbria.police.uk; by calling number 101; or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.