A TEENAGER was set upon by a gang of thugs who pinned him to the ground and beat him.

The boy had taken his girlfriend out for their second date and was on his way home from Festival Leisure Park, in Basildon on Saturday but ended up finishing the date at hospital.

The 16-year-old was attacked in Honeypot Lane, Basildon, by the gang of three older teens.

The male victim, aged 16, was rushed to Basildon Hospital.

His girlfriend’s mother said the youngsters are feeling shaken up by the incident after an unprovoked beating.

She said the teenager is now worried about going out alone after the brutal attack.

She said: “This was their second date at the Festival Leisure Park and I was there the whole time at the park with my other daughter waiting for them.

“They met two other friends so there were four of them together.

“They went bowling and for food.”

The boy then walked the girl to meet her mum at 7pm, before she was taken home.

The mum added: “He then went back to see his friends before heading home around 8pm.

“My daughter came home and heard from him around midnight from the hospital.

“She was distraught.

“I feel totally sick about what happened and if my daughter was with him and walked back with him, my concern would also be for her too.”

The mum added the boy often walks the same route home and described him as “very responsible”.

She said: “He lives ten minutes from the Festival Leisure Park. The bruising is going down.

“He was more concerned that they may of had a knife on them during the attack. Luckily they didn’t.”

She said as nothing was taken, it seems the perpetrators did it for “fun”.

She said she told him not walk home alone again and offered to drive him home.

The horrified mother added: “His injuries were mainly to his face.

“He was pinned to the floor.

“The boys were not much older than him but there were three of them.”

Essex Police was unable to confirm the incident had been reported but anyone with information about the attack should contact the force on 101.