Two teenage girls were left battered and bruised after being set upon by a gang of adults and kids outside a Norwich restaurant.

Today Sprowston mum Cheryl Watling, 39, has spoken out in the hope the group - which included four adults and several children - are brought to justice.

Her 14-year-old daughter suffered a broken nose and nasty bruising and her pal also needed emergency attention after the brawl.

They were confronted by a group of around eight people outside the Riverbank Chinese restaurant, in Wherry Road, on Monday around 7.45pm.

Both girls were taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where they had neck x-rays and the trauma has meant they have been too terrified to go to school.

The girls told police the adults held them down while encouraging the children - some believed to be as young as seven - to kick and punch them.

Mrs Watling said: "I felt completely sick to the stomach when I was told grown men held my daughter's hands behind her back while encouraging their children to hit her.

"The man punched her in the face then threw her to the ground and kicked her.

"You only have to hit someone the wrong way for it to be a serious, life-threatening injury."

The friend was allegedly pinned against the wall by her throat by a woman who threatened to kill her while the children beat her.

"It was pretty horrific and completely unprovoked as they did not say anything nasty to them," Mrs Watling said.

"They had no idea they would be waiting outside the restaurant for them."

The mother believes the two girls had been looking at a member of the family inside the restaurant commenting how she looked similar to a friend of theirs.

After leaving the restaurant around 15 minutes after the family, the girls were confronted about why they had been staring at the family.

Mrs Watling said: "Coming up to 15, they should be allowed to go and have a meal, go to the cinema and do normal things.

"But I said to her 'I do not know if you can go out again'. I am quite strict anyway but this reinforces why I don't like her going out.

"I had to take my 12-year-old son with me when picking her up. Knowing his sister had been punched and kicked by grown men was not very nice for him when listening to the police."

Eyewitness Simone Denton, 25, who lives in the city centre, called the police and waited with the teenage girls after the attack.

She saw the incident after leaving the Chinese restaurant with her partner.

Miss Denton said: "I have seen people having a fight before but nothing like this where grown adults are attacking youngsters. They looked young. I would not have thought they were 14.

"The girl's nose looked broken straightaway as it bruised really quickly. It was horrible. These poor girls were screaming, begging and pleading for them to stop. It was a completely random attack.

"It all happened really quickly and the girls were left shaken like leaves."

It is understood the mother is in contact with police and CCTV footage from nearby businesses is being used to try and track down the family.

The mother said her daughter was still in a lot of pain and terrified as she spent the entire day in hospital following the attack.

"I am not sure how it will affect her mentally long-term as it is still sinking in," Mrs Watling continued.

"There is lots of CCTV down there and lots of people walked past who did absolutely nothing. It makes me feel a bit sad people are too scared to stop and help.

"With knife crime, people are now too nervous to help people in distress so they walk by and ignore it."

A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said: "Officers are currently investigating an assault in Norwich on Monday.

"The incident happened between approximately 7.45pm and 8pm in Wherry Road when two girls both aged in their teens, were approached and assaulted by an unknown group of people. Enquiries are ongoing."