A VICIOUS assault on her 13-year-old daughter has left a mother devastated after she was able to watch the attack on a video clip that has been circulated between young people.

Nub News broke the story of the assault last week when we told of a video featuring the humiliation of the girl filmed before the physical assault. That film, which we did not publish, shows her being bullied, taunted and made to kneel in homage to a group of other girls.

The mum, from Stanford-le-Hope, made an appeal for the children, or their parents, to come forward and acknowledge the incident with police, who continue to investigate the incident. Names of some of the assailants have been given to the police.

She also asked for anyone with a copy of the actual assault to forward it to her. She has now attained a copy of the clip and - and after consulting with her daughter - has asked Thurrock Nub News to publish it to show the true horror of the incident.

The scenes are graphic and distressing but we feel it is in the public interest to publish. Please do not watch the video if you are likely to be distressed.

It was filmed in a public place and has been widely circulated among young people in the area by those who participated in the assault.

"This has utterly broken me," the girl's mum told Nub News. "I can't believe that young girls could do this. There is no reason, it was just a brutal, savage attack, that left my daughter with a broken nose and black eyes.

"She remains shocked and distressed by the attack. She, and I, want people to see what happened and to show just how savage it was.

"She was defenceless while they attacked her as others stood by. A boy also cheered them on. How could anyone do something like this?

"We hope the police will now act and these young thugs and their parents who have not come forward to be held to account. It's shameful and it has broken our family. We are devastated."

The girl attends Gable Hall School in Corringham where she has previously been bullied - and before that she was also subject to harassment and abuse at Hassenbrook Academy before switching schools,

There has been recent concern in the Stanford and Corringham area in the rise of reported incidents of bullying and the locality has seen a significant rise in the number of children taken out of local secondary schools (Gable Hall, Hassenbrook and St Clere's).

It is much higher than the national and regional average with around 70 students being kept away from school after applying for the right to be taught at home to Thurrock Council.

A number of those taking their children out of school have cited bullying as the reason.

Kevin Sadler, interim CEO of the Ortu Trust that runs Gable Hall and Corringham, told Nub News: "I am deeply saddened that one of our students, who should be relaxing and enjoying the summer holidays with their friends and family, has endured this terrible ordeal. 

"I have asked colleagues to provide support where they can and have said that if required, we will be happy to provide any information the Police require.

"One of the key aims of Ortu is that we work with all stakeholders to build a stronger community with respect and tolerance standing as two of the key values.

"We don't know anything about the perpetrators as yet, but we do know that this sort of unprovoked attack is completely unacceptable in our community."

The Osborne Trust, which runs St Clere's has confirmed bullying is an issue it monitors and also it has concerns about the number of pupils who are not attending a mainstream school and whose parents have decided to opt for Elective Home Education - and the reasons for those decisions.

Thurrock Council which has an assistant director for education - paid more than £100,000 a year - and a portfolio holder for schools, effectively washed its hands on the issue, repeating a previous mantra when asked about education and young people in schools in the borough that 'it is a matter for the academies' and adding: "Discipline is a matter for schools, if a person believes a crime has taken place it should be reported to the police.

"Thurrock Council has received no enquires or requests about home schooling in relation to this incident."

That was confirmed by the mother who said: "I would love to take my daughter out of school and away from all this, but I work, and we can't afford it!"

Portfolio holder for schools, Cllr Adam Carter has declined to respond to our request for a comment.