A black teenager was set on fire by racist thugs as he walked home after an evening with friends.

A gang of white youths targeted him in a vicious petrol attack which left the terrified 17-year-old screaming and ripping off his scorched jacket. His jeering assailants then drove off.

In a separate incident an outraged father has offered a £5,000 reward to catch a thug who attacked his student daughter in Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

The fireball attack took place in the centre of Berinsfield early yesterday, as the youth made his way along Wimblestraw Road.

As a dark-coloured saloon car drove past, the occupants leant out and sprayed him with a petroleum-based fluid. The car then stopped, three or four men got out and began to racially abuse their victim. One of them produced a match or lighter and ignited the youth's jacket.

The gang ran to the car which was driven off in the direction of the shops.

The frightened youth staggered to a friend's house nearby to raise the alarm.

He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, and later discharged after treatment for superficial burns to his hands and face.

Det Sgt Geoff Webb, of Didcot CID, said: "This was a totally unprovoked and racially motivated attack. "The man was not badly hurt, but that does not detract from the seriousness of the nasty incident."

Anyone with information can call the Southern Oxfordshire Crime Desk on 01993 893893, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Meanwhile, Oxford University undergraduate Samantha Gilbert said today she hoped the offer of a £5,000 reward would lead to the conviction of her attacker, who left her with a badly injured eye.

Samantha, 20, a second-year student at Lady Margaret Hall, was walking with a friend in Cornmarket Street, Oxford, at 2am on March 21 when she was assaulted.

Her assailant approached her from behind before punching her on the right side of her face.

Miss Gilbert was left with a one-and-a-half inch cut and bad bruising around her right eye and needed hospital treatment. Now her father David, 53, has offered the £5,000 reward which he hopes will lead to the conviction of his daughter's attacker.

Samantha, of Shackleford, Surrey, said: "My eye is only just starting to recover but I will be back for the start of next term. I won't let this put me off Oxford - I love the place."

Anyone with information should telephone Oxford crime desk on 01865 266333, or the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.

Story date: Saturday 08 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.