Angry mum Faye Vickers today appealed for help to catch three sick thugs who branded her young son Joshua's hand with a cigarette lighter.

The nine-year-old was playing on a roundabout at The Leys recreation ground in Witney with his ten-year-old cousin when the teenagers grabbed him and held him down.

Then they burned him with a yellow cigarette lighter - once on his right hand, then again on his left.

Joshua, who had never seen his attackers before and is now keeping away from the park, told the Oxford Mail: "We were playing on the roundabout and I fell off when someone jumped on. These boys were laughing and we said, 'Shut up'.

"They got me on the floor and burned me. It felt horrible. They must have held it there for about 30 seconds. I said, 'Stop it, get off me'.

"When they tried to burn my other hand this young lady shouted at them and they stopped."

Now mum Faye, of Holford Road, wants the thugs found before they strike again. She said: "They must have held his right hand down for quite a while because he had a huge blister. It's burned through about three layers of skin.

"I think it's disgraceful that this can happen, but I'm worried that next time they might go for someone younger than Joshua and try to burn their face.

"His hand has been cleaned and dressed and it's healing nicely now. He's got a smaller blister on his other hand. He's not been as badly affected by this as we thought he might be but at the time he was very frightened and came home crying." Police want to hear from the woman who intervened in the park. She was pushing a buggy at the time.

Joshua was taken to the Nuffield Health Centre in Welch Way and treated for his burns.

Joshua's attackers were all aged about 14. One had a skull ring on the small finger of his left hand and another had buttons up the sides of his trousers.

The third had a sore on his lip and was wearing white jeans and a black T-shirt.

Anyone with information should ring Witney police on 01993 703913.

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