A mum says her 14-year-old daughter was 'attacked by a gang of teenagers for looking different'.
After months in lockdown, Emilea Hilton met up with her friends at Parsonage Retail Park in Leigh on Wednesday afternoon (August 26).
They planned to go to KFC and Costa Coffee on Wednesday just after 2pm.
Emilea's mum Nicola Hilton says her daughter and her pals were then approached by a teenage girl and a boy on a bike.
They singled out Emilea for wearing dark clothes and having died hair - and verbally abused her, Nicola said.
More teenagers arrived and cruelly taunted Emilea, Nicola said.
She was called a 'goth' and was shoved into a table, Nicola claimed.
"Emilea left at 1pm happy, she got herself ready - her black, leather skirt, netted tights, Doc Martens," Nicola said.
"Everything was fine like always. When she came home and went through the ordeal, my heart was broken.
"There was a girl and a lad on a bike, they went to Emilea and her friends and said 'what do you think you're wearing? Why are you dressed like that?'.
Then they started shouting constant abuse and it never stopped.
"Then from nowhere, 10 more appeared and backed the girl up.
"Emilea and her friends ran to Costa Coffee, but the gang followed them and just carried on.
"The things they shouted - 'you're a goth, look at your hair, do you want a hairbrush?'
"They all stood laughing and they pushed her onto the table and shouted at her 'show us your wrists'. They carried on laughing and taunting her while she was on the floor crying.
"She was made to lift up her sleeves to show the crowd. They said to my daughter's friends 'why are you hanging around with her and look at that?'.
"Just horrible things they did to her, she had to go through them for about 30 minutes as they followed her around.
"It was probably the worst half an hour of her life."
The incident hit Emilea hard, Nicola said.
"I think this will torment her now - she's already told me that she doesn't want to go out again," she added.
"The minute she got in the house, she got my straighteners and started straightening her hair. She's got curly hair, she's never used them in her life. This has really affected her.
"They have gone out to target girls who look different to embarrass and degrade them.
"I'm just so upset for her, I've not slept because I've been so worried about how it's going to affect my daughter.
"It's not the physical things, when they pushed her to the ground, it's the embarrassment she felt when they all laughed and targeted her for the way she looks because she was in dark clothes and her hair is died.
"They called her a goth and they targeted her because she dressed differently.
"She does dress differently, but I've always encouraged her to wear what she wants. She's very clever, loves science and wants to be a vet.
"It's pure evil what they have done."
Nicola said police are investigating.
Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.
