HENRY Webster has spoken for the first time since the vicious hammer attack, which almost claimed his life, at Ridgeway School in Wroughton.

The 16-year-old appeared at Bristol Crown Court and dismissed claims his friends shouted racist insults at a gang of Asian youths before the attack took place.

He described how, during the school day, he had been taunted by five Asian pupils on at least two separate occasions.

Four teenagers - Wasif Khan, 18, Amjad Qazi, 19, and two boys aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named - have pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. In total 16 people have been charged in connection with the assault.

Facing questions from defence barristers, Henry, a former rugby prop forward, insisted there had been no racial tension with his alleged attackers.

Referring to an exchange before the brutal attack took place, Robin Shellard, representing Qazi, said: "I am suggesting that it was shouted to the group - where are your P*** mates?' Was that what you heard?"

Henry said: "No."

A witness, aged 16, later described the moment one of the group pulled the claw hammer out of their sleeve.

Henry's head was struck with such force that a hammer indent had been left on his skull. Paramedics described his injuries as life-threatening.

The boy, who cannot be named, said: "I was just inside the tennis courts. One guy pulled the hammer out of his sleeve and just smacked him.

"As soon as he hit Henry, he fell to the ground. As he lay there bleeding, people kept kicking him. They eventually ran off."

In the video recording played out in court, Henry told officers: "They were calling me all sorts of things. I said, say that to my face'. I just wanted to stand up to him - not to hurt him, just to respond to their taunts."

He added: "They were trying to taunt me into a fight.

"When they asked if they wanted a fight at the tennis court, I said as long as it's one on one."

He added: "I know there were at least another five adults there, though I can only describe two of them."

As a result of the attack, he suffered three skull fractures, one of which caused brain injury.

James Patrick, prosecuting, said: "For those there, it made a sickening sight, the sort of thing which you would expect to see in a Quentin Tarantino film - certainly not at a school in a village in Wiltshire."

Mr Patrick said a fight was arranged in January last year, after Henry had barged' into a group of boys in a corridor.

"It was to be a fair fight. But he had not reckoned on the fact it was not to be one-on-one. As he came into the playground he was attacked by a group.

"He was knocked to the ground, he was kicked, punched and repeatedly hit over the head with a hammer."

The trial continues.

A second trial will be held in February.

Kamren Khan, 19, Javed Khan, 20, Mizanur Rahman, 20, Roubel Meah, 20, Aqduss Rauf, 18, Bilal Yaqub, 18, Mahbob Ali, 18, and two youths who cannot be named are also accused of conspiracy to commit grievous bolidy harm.