MORE THAN 20 youths went on the rampage wrecking a house and fighting in the street after being turned away from a house party in Little Lever.

Armed with iron bars, wooden batons and coshes they caused damage estimated at more than £6,000 at the house on Dovedale Road.

Bricks were also hurled through windows at the property after four youths were turned away from a party held by a teenager living at the house.

Fighting broke out at 2am on Sunday after the gatecrashers snatched a mobile phone from a man standing at the door of the house. Police were called but the troublemakers left before officers arrived.

But an hour later the youths returned with a gang of around 15 others ranging in age between 15 and 20.

Partygoers attempted to lock the doors but the youths forced their way in, kicking and punching anyone who fought back.

A car then pulled up and four other youths armed with weapons joined the gang. They attacked a youth and another man was beaten-up in the living room.

The gang then went on the rampage smashing tables, chairs, windows, ornaments and even a fish tank.

Two partygoers were taken to hospital, one suffering from concussion, and the other a gaping head wound. A girl also received cuts to her face after being showered with broken glass. Today, as detectives hunted the attackers, the 17-year-old who organised the party at his home said that he and his friends had initially tried to settle the row amicably.

He said: "At first, when the fighting broke out, a few of us had tried splitting it up, but they came back later and there were loads more of them.

"My parents were out at the time, and I did not expect this sort of thing to happen.

"It was bad at first and then it really went off. It just got bigger and bigger.."

The boy's mother said: "There is about six thousand pounds worth of damage in there. My son had a few friends round and suddenly half of Little Lever came in and smashed my house up."

Neighbours said they saw the house being attacked by the gang but confessed they were scared to get involved.

One man, who was returning from a night out, said: "It was somewhere between two and three in the morning. I came down the street and heard a lot of shouting. There were about six or so lads running after each other. I just kept my head down because I didn't want to get involved.

As police officers made house-to-house inquiries Det Chief Insp Dave Law of Bolton CID, vowed to crackdown on the trouble.

He said: "This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. It will be investigated thoroughly and arrests will be made."