The terrified black teenager set on fire by racist thugs fears he will be forced to flee his home.

Chris Barton, 17, was doused with petrol by a gang of white youths who then set fire to him with cigarette lighters. He was left with burns to his face, arms and hands as he ripped off his sweater and beat out the flames.

"It was terrible. I can't explain how painful it was,'' he said. "I definitely don't want to live here any more. I'm frightened to go out at night."

Didcot CID has issued an appeal for witnesses and Det Sgt Geoff Webb, who is leading the investigation, said: "He is still very upset by the attack and some of the skin on his face is now peeling off, which is obviously very painful. "We repeat our appeal for anyone who knows anything about this racially motivated incident to contact us urgently.''

The attack happened as Chris walked along Wimblestraw Road, Berinsfield, early on Friday.

Now recovering at a secret address, Chris told how he was confronted by four white youths who sprayed him with petrol and then climbed out of a car. They called him names before setting him ablaze with cigarette lighters.

The teenager staggered to the home he shares with girlfriend Tasha Frost, who raised the alarm.

Chris said he had spent the evening with a friend near his family home and was walking back home to his flat. He said: "When I got to Berinsfield I was five minutes from the house and a black car started driving slowly behind me.

"My first thought was that it was the police. I have been stopped late at night before.

"It was just going at normal walking speed when it pulled up beside me.

"I was going to run but then I had some stuff sprayed over me. It smelled like petrol.

"Two boys got out of the car and stood right in front of me. Then two even taller lads got out and stood behind me. "There was a car on one side and a fence on the other. I couldn't go anywhere. The two lads in front of me pulled out lighters.

"I stood there just frozen with fear. The next thing I knew the lighters were lit. I just kept my eyes on the lighters and then they lit me up and just walked off, laughing."

As the flames leapt into his face and smothered his hands, Chris pulled off his jumper.

He said: "It felt like an hour to get home. I was just in shock.

"If they would do that to me, I don't know what they could do to other people. I'm just a normal person." His distraught girlfriend said: "I started crying. I just couldn't take it in. I was running around asking our friends what to do. In the end we stuck his head in cold water and called an ambulance."

Chris's stepfather, Calvin Loader, added: "I hope they catch them, lock them up and throw away the key. Animals like that don't deserve to be out on the street."

Story date: Monday 10 April

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