THE leader of Burnley Council has told bosses at an embattled super school' to "pull their heads out of the sand" before somebody is seriously injured.

Coun Gordon Birtwistle was speaking after police were called to reports of a fight between groups of pupils from Hameldon Community College and Shuttleworth College.

Police said officers were sent to disperse the groups on land between the two schools at 1pm on Thursday.

The incident was the latest involving police at Hameldon, which is made up of pupils from the former Habergham and Ivy Bank schools.

Since its opening the college has experienced problems which saw police being called to 19 incidents in the first five weeks of term.

Reports to officers included pupils being threatened at knifepoint, knives disguised as pens being found and bullying.

Worried parents even staged a public meeting to discuss the issues because they said the school was not taking concerns seriously.

Although no repres-entatives from Hameldon attended, headteacher Gill Broome, and the county council's cabinet member for education, Coun Alan Whittaker, said staff were treating the allegations seriously and working to resolve any problems.

And days after the meeting the school bowed to pressure by parents and Coun Birtwistle and said it would urgently install extra CCTV.

Now following the latest incident Coun Birtwistle told education bosses to sort out the problems once and for all.

He said: "We have got to get it sorted. They can't bury their heads in the sand.

"You cannot be in denial, you have to face the problem and sort it out."

"Somebody is going to get seriously injured and that's the last we want."

No-one was available to comment for either of the two schools.