A BOY was set upon by sick thugs who filmed the attack on their mobile phone in Burnley's first "happy slapping" attack.

Today a police boss said he hoped the incident would be the first and last attack of its kind in the town.

The 12-year-old boy, a pupil at St. Theodore's High School, was walking along Church Street when he was approached by a group of youths outside the Dixie Chicken.

Police said he was slapped on the head repeatedly by one boy while another recorded the assault on his mobile phone.

Happy slapping' first hit the headlines last year when the new form of bullying was emerged.

Videos of the attacks are typically sent to other mobile phones and also posted on the internet to further humiliate the victim.

It is understood the thugs involved in the incident last Wednesday attend Towneley High School, although acting headteacher David Franklin said they had not been contacted by the police about the incident.

Inspector Damian Darcy said: "There has never been a happy slapping incident in Burnley before.

"Certainly this is the first one I've ever known about in the town and, if we've got anything to do with it this will be the last one.

"This is an assault like any other. The children involved might think it's a bit of fun but it is something that could have serious consequences.

"We know who they are, we are in contact with the school and we are looking at making some arrests."

However Mr Franklin said he had checked the school's phone records which showed police had not contacted the school about the incident.

He said: "We know nothing about it and nothing appears to have come in to school.

"Presumably they were not in uniform and it could be someone has said they were from the first school which came in to their head.

"However, bullying of any sort is totally unacceptable and if the police contact us we will co-operate with them fully."

In what is believed to be the worst Happy Slapping incident in Britain 15 year-old-girl, Chelsea O'Mahoney and her co-defendants Reece Sergeant, 21, Darren Case, 18, and a youth, David Blenman, 17, were all found guilty of the manslaughter of David Morley near Waterloo Station, in London in December last year.