A teenage girl could have brain damage after a man attacked her while trying to force his way into her family's home.
PR worker Charlotte Barber, 18, was in her home when something was thrown through a downstairs window, waking her mother Claire, 48, who had been asleep upstairs.
When she went downstairs to see what had happened she saw her daughter pushing against the front door to stop a 21-year-man from getting into the house.PR worker Charlotte Barber, 18, was in her home when something was thrown through a downstairs window, waking her mother Claire, 48, who had been asleep upstairs.
However, her daughter was dragged from the house and punched in the face before she fell down the side of a parked car and slumped onto the pavement, leaving her with horrific facial injuries and bruising to the brain.
She also broke her wrist and two cheek bones in the attack which happened on Sunday morning as she returned from a night out with friends in Alnwick, Northumberland.
Her mother took her to Wansbeck General Hospital where she was kept in to be treated for the brutal injuries that she had suffered and she is still being assessed to see if there will
be any lasting physical damage.Describing the attack, Mrs Barber said: 'I just ran downstairs. I realised someone had thrown something through the window and was trying to get through the door and Charlotte was trying to shut it.
The next 48 hours are crucial. We are supposed to be flying to Tenerife on Friday with her little sister and have been told we cannot fly, as the doctors have told me this is now not an option.'
Northumbria Police confirmed that a 21-year-old man, who is known to the Barber family, has been arrested.
A police spokesman today said: 'At 3am yesterday morning police received a report of an incident in Percy Terrace, Alnwick.
'Officers attended the scene and an 18-year-old woman was taken to Wansbeck General Hospital for treatment to injuries sustained in the incident.
