TWO teenagers have come forward to admit their part in an attack on a York man which left him scarred for life, it was revealed today.

A 13-year-old and 15-year-old, both from York, were arrested after giving themselves up at Fulford police station - but have escaped court action.

Father-of-two Doug Unwin was smashed on the head with a mini-scooter and punched in the face after asking youths to stop leaning on his hedge outside his home in Kingswood Grove, Acomb.

York's police commander, Chief Superintendent John Lacy, praised the Evening Press for its coverage of Mr Unwin's ordeal, as he said it may have shocked the youths into handing themselves in.

The teenagers have each been given final warnings - following police consultation with Mr Unwin - and had their photographs, fingerprints and a sample of DNA taken. They will be referred to the Youth Offending Team at Mill House.

"The fact I've got to carry a scar round for the rest of my life and they've been given final warnings would seem disproportionate," said Mr Unwin.

"But as a law-abiding citizen I have to accept the police have done all they can under the law as it exists."

Chief Supt Lacy said the teenagers had not got off lightly.

"A conviction early in someone's life could seriously affect their future," he said.

"Rest assured, final warnings are not given lightly, and on this occasion was done in consultation with the complainant.

"A final warning can be cited in any future criminal activity of that person. These two young persons were able to consider what they had done and chose to give themselves up given the massive publicity surrounding the attack. I'm indebted to the Evening Press for that.

"There is always a difficult balance between raising the fear of crime and using the media to seek detection, but on this occasion it worked well."

Mr Unwin said he received a letter of apology from the 13-year-old youth.

"The Evening Press coverage has been excellent and really caught the public's imagination and highlighted the problem of gangs going round the streets at night intimidating people and causing trouble," he said. "If it has caused one single parent to ask themselves where their son or daughter is at night, then it will have been worth it. I'd like to thank everyone for their messages of support."

The British National Party has denied it had anything to do with a poster which used the attack on Doug Unwin as a BNP recruiting platform.

The poster breached Evening Press copyright by printing our picture of Mr Unwin without permission.

Activists delivered hundreds of pamphlets to homes throughout west York expressing sympathy for Mr Unwin after his attack.

Our picture of Mr Unwin's scarred head was reproduced in the leaflet, which urged people to join the party and support the return of corporal punishment for violent attacks. When the Evening Press approached the BNP last week about the copyright breach, Dr Phill Edwards, national press officer for the party, said: "The needs must when the devil drives. The issue is so great and the situation so serious we feel justified in using it." But when told yesterday a letter was on its way from our lawyers, he denied that the BNP had produced the leaflet and said the party did not condone breaches of copyright.

"My comments last week were based on wrong information. I thought our local group might have had something to do with it. I have since found out they did not."

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, November 06, 2003