A GANG of racist youths who beat up Tamil teenagers covering a tube station ticket hall in blood have been spared jail.

A row started between the groups after one of the five defendants called a female friend of the Sri Lankan victims a “slag” at Sudbury Hill station at around 1am on June 6 last year.

Harrow Crown Court heard today how her friends, who were celebrating the end of their college exams, tried to stand up for her but one of the thugs punched a member of their group on the nose.

The gang initially left the scene heading up the road to a nearby chicken shop but continued the verbal abuse when two of the Tamil girls tried to get tissues to help stop their friend's nose bleed.

After telling her to leave they returned to the station where they attacked the group a second time punching and kicking the men, leaving them with cuts, scratching and bruises.

Daniel Hingerton, 20, Billy Hill, 19, Jake King, 20, Steven Ryan, 21, and Jason Wornes, 19, were handed six month suspended sentences and ordered to do 200 hours community service.

Judge David Mole QC said the ten minute brawl “must have been terrifying for everyone about there”.

Sentencing the group, he said: “At some times some of you were trying to restrain matters but there is no one who was always trying to restrain matters.

“At various times you all take a violent part in the situation. It must have been extremely threatening. It lasted for quite a considerable amount of time.

“When people are being violent, ten minutes can seem like a very long time indeed.”

Barristers for the defendants all said the attack was out of character and stressed the fact only one, Ryan, had a past conviction for burglary.

Wornes has learning difficulties and once featured on the BBC where he was held up as an example of the progress challenging pupils can make.

Judge Mole said: “Although there was no great injury, if you go around and start kicking people on the ground and start punching people on the ground or back kicking them on the ground you run the risk that you will do very serious injury indeed.

“That is why a matter like this must be considered a very serious matter.”

He added: “You have been given, all of you, another chance and I hope you take it.”