THE family of a student left with a pendent embedded in her face after a sickening racist assault have expressed their anger after her attackers escaped jail.

The two girls and one boy, all aged 16, were given referral orders or community sentences at Rochdale Magistrates Court on Monday morning, following the incident, which took place in June in the children's playground in Springfield Park.

The uncle of the victim, who has asked not to be named, said his family would be disappointed with the sentences.

He added: “This was an horrific attack so it is disappointing that the perpetrators have escaped custodial sentences.

“It sends the wrong message that if you launch a racist attack, you wont be jailed.”

The victim had gone to the park with her three young sisters, aged between five and 11 and her sister in law, who was with her 18 month old baby.

The pair took the younger children to play on the baby swings, but they were confronted by one of the 16 year old girls and Kirsty Leigh Hood, 19, who began verbally abusing them, including a chant of 'BNP.'

At one point, a passer-by intervened and told the pair to leave the victim alone.

The 16-year-old boy and the other girl later approached the victim and her sister in law and also became confrontational.

When the boy mumbled something at the victim, she told him to speak English, to which he responded 'I'm more British than you'.

The boy then suggested to one of the girls that she should pull the victim's headscarf off, and it was at this point that the girl punched the victim in the face, which such force that the pendant from her bracelet became embedded in her eye.

The victim, a 17 year old student, was taken to Rochdale Infirmary.

Hood, 19, was sentenced last month for her part in the attack.

At the time, District Judge Paul Richardson warned two of the youths they could face custodial sentences, but neither received one.

The girl who threw the punch was given a ten month referral order after Judge Richardson took into account that the attack was her first offence.

She will not have to pay any costs or compensation, as she is unemployed and does not have any parental support.

Mr Richardson said: “You hit out with your fist for no justifiable reason at all.

“It was the conclusion of a very ugly incident in a public park, where the victim and her sister in law had done no more than play on the public swings.

“You and your group had been drinking alcohol.

“I'm quite sure that if you hadn't been drinking, you wouldn't have got involved at all.

“What is less clear to me is how long you have been mixing with these sorts of people.

“Mercifully, the injury the victim sustained was not of a permanent nature, but for the victim was still a very alarming incident.

“The choice for you is stark, either you go to custody or you are made the subject of a referral order.

“When not inebriated, it seems you have good sense.

“If you didn't, we'd have seen a lot more of you in this court. This is a final chance.”

The 16 -year-old boy, who has 30 previous convictions for a catalogue of offences, was given a nine month supervision order and has been placed under a curfew for two months.

The 16 year old girl, who has 13 previous convictions and was involved in verbally abusing the victim alongside Hood, was given a nine month supervision order.

Both their parents must pay £200 costs.

The Observer applied to have the order banning publication of the youth's identities lifted, but Mr Richardson chose to uphold it.