An official review into a "racist" hammer attack on teenager Henry Webster while at Ridgeway School was so flawed that it must be quashed, the High Court ruled today.

Henry, 18, was attacked in January 2007 by a gang of Asians with a claw hammer. He was left brain damaged and is now seeking compensation from the school at the High Court.

The school's insurers advised against Ridgeway co-operating with a serious case review set up by the Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board until after a claim for damages by Henry and his family, alleging negligence by the school, had been heard.

Today a judge ruled the board, instead of holding a speedy and comprehensive review, had unlawfully phased the inquiry in compliance with the insurer's wishes - delaying its final report by many months.

He ordered the board to hold a new review to comply with the terms of his judgment.

The judge said the purpose of statutory serious case reviews was to learn lessons to prevent future similar incidents.

The assault on Henry involved a group of Asian schoolboys and three car-loads of Asian men who came on to school premises after being summoned by the boys on mobile phones.

Mr Justice Kenneth Parker said: "The spectre of statutory serious case reviews being stifled by the insurance industry would be potentially of such significance to public policy as to engage the attention of the Secretary of State and, through him if need be, the Association of British Insurers and - in the last resort - the industry regulator, the Financial Services Authority."

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