A STUDENT was hit in the face with a plank of wood by a vicious gang of teenagers who were after his mobile phone and money.

The four yobs demanded the phone and cash as blood poured from Stuart Wynn's face in a terrifying attack near York city centre.

Mr Wynn, an 18-year-old archaeology student at the University of York, managed to escape and raise the alarm.

Today, he told the Evening Press: "I have always thought of York as a safe place - but not any more."

Police are hunting for Mr Wynn's attackers before they strike again - and urged students to "use common sense" when walking home alone.

Mr Wynn's ordeal follows an incident less than a fortnight ago when a gang of hooded youths armed with a cricket bat stole a businessman's mobile phone, but police do not believe the attacks are related.

Mr Wynn was walking home in Heslington Road near St Lawrence's Primary School at 11.45pm on Friday when a gang of four youths - two men and two women, one of whom looked as young as 15 - approached him and asked him for the time.

He took his mobile phone out of his pocket to check. Seconds later he was attacked.

Mr Wynn, of Melrosegate, said: "As soon as I told them what the time was, one of them hit me in the face with a long piece of wood shaped like a cricket bat."

Stuart's glasses smashed and he was left with cuts to his face and a swollen and bloody nose.

"One of the girls said 'give him your money and phone or he will hit you again', but I could see in the guy's face that he was already having second thoughts," he said.

"I was in a pretty bad way, bleeding from my face, but I kept hold of my phone and ran off towards Thief Lane, where I stopped a passer-by and called the police. I was pretty frightened and in shock."

PC Chris Poole, of York Police, said: "If you are walking on your own, be aware of groups of youths approaching you for no apparent reason.

"Try not to be obviously using mobile phones and if you do have any concerns about safety, contact the police."

Mr Wynn said: "I'm 6ft 1in, and I'm not a particularly vulnerable person - it's not as if I'm an old lady or anything.

"I never expected to be attacked walking through York, but I was wrong."

The Evening Press reported on August 11 that a cricket bat-wielding gang of three hooded youths attacked a 25-year-old businessman and stole his mobile phone in Leeman Road, York, in broad daylight.

:: Police issue descriptions of Stuart's attackers

THE teenager who struck Stuart Wynn is described as white, aged 16 to 18, medium build, 5ft 11in tall, and "pale and fresh-faced with a clear complexion".

He was wearing a light-blue, zip-up top, dark-blue tracksuit bottoms, white trainers and a white baseball cap.

The second youth was 5ft 10in tall, aged 16 to 18, medium build, with short dark hair and wearing a blue tracksuit top.

One woman was described as white, 15 to 17-years-old, thin build, with dark, tied-back hair and a tanned complexion.

She was wearing a baseball cap and wearing a dark tracksuit top and plain light-blue jeans.

The other woman was white, 5ft 8in tall, aged 18 to 20, of medium build, with black hair tied in a ponytail and described as "very unattractive".

She was wearing a dark blue tracksuit.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to phone DC Jo Wragg on 0845 6060247.

Updated: 10:02 Wednesday, August 24, 2005