Bolton race hate attack leaves mum critically ill

Police described it as a "despicable, unprovoked assault on two innocent members of the public"

A woman has been critically injured in a "despicable" racially-aggravated attack as she walked with her teenage son and two young daughters.

The 39-year-old victim was on her way to a bus stop in Bolton, Greater Manchester when the attack happened.

Her son was also punched by a man who made a "racial slur" in Padbury Way, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Police said a man, 28, and a woman, 26, had been arrested in Breightmet in connection with the incident.

The man is being held on suspicion of causing racially-aggravated grievous bodily harm and racially-aggravated assault and the woman on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.

Police said the mother was attacked when she tried to intervene when her son was hit.

'Unprovoked attack'

The family later boarded a bus but got off in Deepdale Road when the mother became unwell and emergency services were called.

She was taken to hospital with a head injury, before her condition deteriorated.

She remains in a critical but stable condition having undergone surgery.

Det Insp Ian Partington said: "This was a despicable, unprovoked assault on two innocent members of the public in front of young children.

"There is absolutely no place for this in our community. We treat all hate crimes extremely seriously and are following several lines of enquiry to trace the offenders."