The victims of a brutal attack at a railway station have spoken out following their ordeal.

Initial reports stated trains had been stopped after a fight at Rainham Station on Wednesday night but three teenage victims have since come forward to explain it was a serious assault, rather than a fight.

One described how she was subjected to homophobic abuse outside the station before being kicked in the head, while another said he feared for his life as a gang threatened to throw him on the tracks.

"It was a homophobic attack," said the 18-year-old victim. "The first thing they said was 'Is that a boy or a girl?' to me. My friend was saying 'She's a girl, get off her'. They were calling us dykes and faggots.

"Initially a boy had walked past and started saying stuff to us and then he came back with another girl. My friend said can you keep two metres back, because of Covid, and she started to attack her.

"I pulled her away and she started to attack me. That's when lots of boys came round the corner and I was on the floor and I started getting kicked in the head by these boys."

After trying to get away, she was then knocked to the ground again and punched in the head.

"Obviously it shouldn't be happening – it's a horrible thing to go through and they need to be caught."

But while she said the experience was terrifying, she did not want to let it affect her.

"I wouldn't say I'm distraught because they're not going to break me. That's not going to happen.

"I want to get it out there because I've been in contact with other people and I was talking to another gay boy who said they had tried to beat him up last week.

"My friend got hit in the head multiple times but she's alright. We've both been checked out and we're OK.

"Obviously it shouldn't be happening - it's a horrible thing to go through and they need to be caught."

Another 18-year old victim said train operators had stopped services because they feared he could have been knocked out and lying the tracks.

"It wasn't a fight," he said. "None of us fought back. There were two simultaneous attacks going on.

"I had finished work and was with a friend who was waiting for their friend to get off the train.

"A group of boys had just come off the train, and left through the side gate. Some cross words were said between the girls and these boys.

"One of them came over and attacked the girls. Once he realised they were girls and I was the only male then they turned their attention to me.

"That was when I started getting attacked. He just started pushing me backwards and got right up into my face. I hit my head so I don't know what was going on, but I know I made it very clear I wasn't interested in a fight.

"He kept pushing me backwards and then struck me across the jaw. Then I was on the floor - it's kind of blurry. I got kicked on the ground. After that he looked like he was going to leave, then some other boys turned up - there was 20 people around me.

"At the time, I feared for my life. They were saying 'Push him on the train tracks', and they were threatening to take my watch. One of the girls then said 'He's not done anything' and one of his mates told me to get out.

"After that I guess they just ran away. I ended up in an ambulance - I had concussion but I was able to give a description to the police."

He said he hoped the attackers could be brought to justice before someone else was attacked.

"I'm quite honestly scared to leave the house - it could happen again," he added. "I could get targeted by the boys if they saw me again.

"It happened next to CCTV so hopefully it will be on camera.

"I've got no interest in fighting and I made it incredibly clear. A lot of people give it the big'n and get smacked, which isn't right either, but I didn't say anything derogatory.

"There's nothing I did that could lead to them attacking me. They seem like the type of people that are just happy to have a fight - it's not a one-off for them."

Two days after the incident he is still nursing a stiff jaw, sore head and sore back, but said it could have been a lot worse.

"Then I was on the floor - it's kind of blurry. I got kicked on the ground..."

"It could have ended a lot differently," he added. "If he had pulled out a knife or pushed me on the tracks, I could have died.

"The police and ambulance were very helpful. They couldn't have done any more than they did."

Kent Police say they were was called at 8.57pm on to a report of an assault at Rainham Train Station.

A spokesman added: "Officers attended along with South East Coast Ambulance Service and assisted British Transport Police."

A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of homophobic assault and attempted robbery, and has been released on bail while inquiries continue.

A 16-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and has been released under investigation.

Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.

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