The parents of a Deal teenager who was injured in an attack believe that Kent Police let him down – although police say officers followed all reasonable lines of inquiry.

Marcus Maslin, 13, suffered a black eye, five lumps on his head, a split lip, a bruised tongue and his glasses were smashed after the incident at Deal Skate Park in April.

In the eight weeks since the attack, the anxious teen has left his home in Dola Avenue only three times.

In a tearful interview with the Mercury, Marcus’s mother Sue Kennedy said that despite being given the names of the alleged culprits, police have not charged anyone because the CCTV cameras in the area did not stretch far enough to capture the incident.

Mrs Kennedy broke down describing the change in her son since the attack.

“As a parent this is our worst nightmare. You want to be able to protect your child” Sue Kennedy, Marcus Maslin's mum

“He hasn’t been to school in eight weeks.

“Every time we have tried to send him, he has come downstairs shaking like a leaf. He won’t stop crying and he has been physically sick.

“We never see him. He is in his room all the time. The only time we see him is when he comes down to get something to eat and he goes back upstairs.

“As a parent this is our worst nightmare. You want to be able to protect your child.”

The incident was allegedly the result of a long-standing feud between Marcus and another boy.

Mrs Kennedy said Castle Community College has offered help and support to re-integrate Marcus back into school life.

But the teen fears he is not protected when out of the school grounds as the incident happened on a Saturday out of school.

Chief Inspector Steve Barlow said: “This has been fully investigated and all reasonable lines of enquiry have been followed.

“The alleged victim has been interviewed and he and his family kept up to date with the investigation at each stage.

“Officers have spoken to a number of witnesses, including friends of the alleged victim and friends of the alleged suspect and a member of the public who was at the scene.

“All CCTV footage, where available, including from Tides, has also been looked at, but the incident was not captured.

“There is currently no evidence, either from CCTV or independent witnesses, to support the alleged victim’s account, and because all the evidence concurs with the account provided by the alleged suspect, there is insufficient evidence to charge the suspect and provide a realistic prospect of conviction.

“Police were not present at the time of this incident.”

If you witnessed an attack at Deal Skate Park, near Tides Leisure Centre, on Saturday, May 10, please get in touch with police on 101.