A teenager was attacked by a 'gang' of schoolchildren and had his car damaged just two-and-a-half hours after passing his driving test.

The 17-year-old boy had collected two friends and visited the Co-Op, on Ashburnham Way in Carlton Colville, when he was surrounded by the group, believed to be around 15 years old.

The boy, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: 'I'm just gutted really, but that is the world we live in today.

'As we were going into the shop a gang of 15 came over and one of them started hurling abuse about my shoes.

'He had the same ones and wanted me to take them off. We ignored them and went inside.

'When we got back in the car the boy spat at my windscreen and started kicking out.

'It wasn't very nice and I got out to tell him to go away and the rest of them started on me.

'I was getting battered and they were hitting my car.

'The one who originally started it then jumped onto my car and smashed the windscreen, then he shouted that we were lucky he didn't have his knife.'

The boy, whose Audi A1 is now temporarily undrivable, said the main thing was their safety.

He said: 'Wherever you go there will always be something like that, but it is a growing problem around here.

'People like this, and those who carry knives, do this because they think they can get away with it and don't realise the consequences.

'It could ruin someone's life. It is horrible.

'Luckily we were fine. We might be bruised but cars can be replaced. It is only a bit of metal. You can't replace our lives.

His mother said the scenes were 'gang-like behaviour.'

She said: 'He had only just passed his test and went out with a few friends. He was on an absolute high but came crashing back down to Earth with a bump. Where is the fairness in this?

'This is quite a common picture in the area now. To have a scrap is one thing, but this is gang-like behaviour.

'He is a big lad and those boys were younger than him but he was surrounded and they got him on the floor.'

Suffolk Police confirmed they were called to reports of an altercation at 6.35pm on Ashburnham Way and said the group dispersed upon their arrival.