A PROMISING young musician may never sing again after his jaw was smashed by a group of thugs in an unprovoked attack.

Dan Wyatt, 18, of Bromley Green, Ashford, needed surgery to fix two metal plates in his mouth following the beating in Ashford's Memorial Gardens on May 31. They will never be taken out and doctors who treated him said he is lucky to be alive.

DS Steve Beardwell, who is leading the police investigation into the attack, said it was vicious and unprovoked.

Dan's family is worried he may never sing again and said the placid teenager has lost his confidence. He practised every Monday and was looking forward to two gigs with his band.

His mother, Jeanette, 45, said: "He is nervous of being on his own. He has been quiet and reflective since it happened and is quite happy to sit indoors. He was full of confidence and all of a sudden he's just not. We won't know if he can sing until he tries it, but he's frightened."

He was featured in the Kentish Express with his band Losers of the Year just a day before the attack. They competed in a singing competition at Park Mall shopping centre last month.

Dan, a student at South Kent College, was repeatedly kicked in the head by a group of up to 20 youths, smashing his jaw and leaving his face severely bruised. Mrs Wyatt said the gang called Dan towards them, before surrounding him and knocking him to the floor with a bottle. She said: "They just kept kicking him in the head. He had no marks on his body, just on his face."

He can remember nothing about the brutal beating and is only just remembering events before and after the attack.

His father, Steve, 45, said: "People don't realise the knock-on affect of things like this - it's been a nightmare."

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. DS Beardwell said three groups of youths were in the park at the time. Anybody with information should call him on 01233 611055.