Cllr Fred Lawton viciously mugged in West End of Darlington.

6.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 11th Mar 2006

Fred Lawton in North Road ward

Cllr Fred Lawton, the Liberal Democrat councillor for North Road ward, has been viciously attacked in an attempted robbery. The attack happened in Cleveland Avenue at 11.45 on Wednesday, March 8th. Earlier in the evening, Cllr Lawton had been been at the monthly Executive Committee meeting of Darlington Liberal Democrats.

Fred, who is in his early sixties, was taken by ambulance to Darlington's Memorial Hospital after the attack. After treatment for severe cuts to his head, Fred was allowed home on Thursday morning. He has received messages of support from local Liberal Democrats and the Regional Chairman, Cllr Eileen Blakey.

Fred said, "I was walking home when two young men on the other side of the road approached me. One of them pointed a weapon at me, which I at first thought might be a gun but which I now think was a wooden replica, and said, "Give me your money". I refused and he hit me on the top of the head with the object. It wasn't metal, it felt more like wood. He kept shouting, "Give me your money" and I think he must have hit me a dozen times. I was frightened of falling over.

I started shouting for help, and was swinging my brolly at my attacker. I managed to get to someone's front door and started banging my brolly on it. He was still hitting me on the head, while the other man just watched."

The thugs ran off, scared of being caught when the door was answered. The residents of the house helped Fred and called an ambulance.

"There was blood everywhere, but my skull wasn't broken. I have three major cuts which have been stapled up. I am grateful for the help of Brian Fiske, our membership secretary, who I phoned from hospital. He brought my wife, Helen, to the hospital.

When Brian saw me in hospital, swathed in bandages, his first reaction was to say, "Oh no...not another by-election!"

The muggers, who were white and in their late teens or early twenties, wore black balaclavas, one of which was found nearby. Fred is concerned that local people know that these two thugs are violent and are still at large and could strike again. He also appealed to the second man, who did not take part in the violence, to give himself up.

"That first man is really dangerous. If he had hit me on the wrong part of the head, or had attacked someone less robust, he could have killed. I would urge the other one to think about the situation you're in. I suspect you aren't really into violence. Confess before you get yourself into deeper trouble."

Fred was allowed out of hospital on Thursday morning and is now recuperating.