A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of GBH after a man was viciously attacked on board a train out of Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
Police said the victim got into a 'verbal altercation with a boy who was speaking loudly on his mobile phone' - and was later punched in the head as he was about to get off the train.
The teenager, who hasn't been named by British Transport Police, was arrested on suspicion grievous bodily harm and taken into police custody to be interviewed, the force revealed on Wednesday.
A spokesman confirmed he was later released on conditional bail after questioning pending further enquiries.
Detectives previously said they were investigating what they called a 'serious assault' on board the train travelling between central Manchester and Crewe in Cheshire. The attack happened at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, on February 18.
In a statement at the time, BTP said the victim needed stitches for a deep cut on his lip and also suffered bruising on his head and ear. The force said: "At 8.06pm on 18 February, the victim boarded a train at Manchester Piccadilly. During his journey he had a verbal altercation with a boy who was speaking loudly on his mobile phone.
"The victim then moved down the train to alight at Holmes Chapel. The boy followed him down the train and repeatedly punched him in the head. The boy got off the train at Crewe and boarded a Cardiff-bound service.
"As a result of the attack, the victim suffered a deep cut on his lip that required stitches, as well as bruising on his head and ear."
In a statement today, British Transport Police told the Manchester Evening News: "A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and taken to police custody to be interviewed.
"He has since been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries." No further details have been revealed.
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