A teenager was arrested today over an attack on a 16-year-old girl which was filmed on a mobile phone, police said.

Becky Smith was beaten unconscious on May 9 near her home in Blackley, Manchester. She was treated in hospital for severe concussion and nerve damage to her legs.

The attackers filmed the assault on a mobile video phone - a craze known as "happy slapping". The images are exchanged on mobile phones or posted on the internet. A 16-year-old girl, from Blackley, was arrested today on suspicion of assault. She was released on bail this afternoon.

Georgina Smith, 39, the victim’s mother, said that she was shocked to learn that the images were being passed around at Plant Hill High School in Blackley. She said that her son Craig, 13, also a pupil, was shown the film by another pupil at the school, where his sister is shortly to sit her GCSEs.

Mrs Smith said: "What has happened to her was just sickening. I want whoever did this to be caught. I want the school to encourage any pupils who were there to come forward, so that we can try and find out what happened."

Her daughter has told police that all she can recall about the attack, which happened last week, was being beaten about the head. She was treated in hospital for severe concussion and nerve damage to a leg, which impaired her ability to walk.

Becky, who wants to become a drama student, is now walking on crutches and may require further physiotherapy.

A spokesman for Plant Hill High School said: "This is a police matter about an incident which happened outside school." Greater Manchester Police have issued an appeal for witnesses to the attack, which occurred at about 7.15pm on Monday, May 9.

Anti-bullying organisations believe that the teenage fad for "happy slapping" began in South London late last year but has now spread across the country. It is an important part of the craze to record the look of utter shock on the victim after the initial blow.

The craze has been blamed on controversial television series such as Jackass and Dirty Sanchez, which feature scenes involving the gratuitous infliction of pain and humiliation.

This month two teenagers were jailed by Bolton Crown Court for a "happy slapping" incident. The pair laughed and joked as they filmed themselves setting fire to a stranger whom they had found sleeping in a bus shelter. Their victim almost died from his burns.

In another development, Mike Craik, the newly appointed Chief Constable of Northumbria, is promising to break up gatherings of more than two teenagers in an attempt to rid a shopping centre of young troublemakers.

The operation initiated yesterday at the Brockwell centre in Cramlington will employ new powers to deal with youths who have waged a long campaign of violence, abuse and drunkenness. Using powers granted by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, Northumbria Police have been instructed to escort home any under-16s who are considered to be causing a nuisance.

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