THREE schoolgirls who launched a frenzied attack on another teenager escaped being locked up because of their age, a youth court was told.

The trio viciously assaulted their victim in a Worcester park on Saturday, March 10, after downing vodka in a pub's toilets.

Stipendiary magistrate Graham Parkinson, who described the assault as horrendous, told the two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - that it was only their age that had saved them.

"I know you're ashamed of yourselves, but to actually think you could do that to another human being, kicking her on the ground so you had to be pulled off by an adult, we think it's appalling," he said.

He gave each of them a year's supervision order.

"We feel a message has to go out that this sort of attack will not be tolerated by the courts," he added.

Andrew Childs, defending one of the girls, said her parents had been shocked by the enormity of the incident.

"The culture of bullying at their school may be the key to it," he added.

James Somerville, solicitor for another of the defendants, said there was no excuse and little explanation for this "vicious" incident.

He said the herd instinct may have contributed to the attack.

The Droitwich court heard that on the day of the incident the girls had bought vodka and drunk it in the toilets of a pub.

Later, one of the defendants had cut herself with some glass in the park.

A row broke out over a mobile phone and some money, and the victim was attacked.

The injured girl spent two days in hospital as a result of the assault.

The girls, who admitted assault, were also ordered to write a letter of apology to their victim. They were each ordered to pay £300 with £55 costs.