A MUM and dad who charged into the playground of their son's school brandishing baseball bats have avoided jail.

Charles, 40, and Jayne Wilson, 37, had turned up at Marsden Heights Community College after their son phoned them about a dispute in the yard.

In the melee that followed, Jayne Wilson chased pupils as they ran towards the school building and abused Asian staff members, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The rumpus was brought to an end after the pair, who claim their son has been bullied, were calmed down by the headmistress and asked to air their grievances in a more civilised fashion.

The Wilsons, of Hodder Street, Burnley, admitted affray and posessing an offensive weapon on school premises on February 20.. They were each given 52 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, with the Think First programme and 12 months supervision.

Sentencing the couple, Judge Beverley Lunt slammed their behaviour as disgraceful and wholly inexcusable and incomprehensible and said if the Wilsons had been concerned about their son they could have rung the police.

She added: "If you want a definition of bullying, how about two grown adults charging into a playground brandishing baseball bats?"

Hilary Manley, prosecuting, told the court Anjam Sharif was on duty in the playground when a dispute arose between two groups over using an area of the yard. Miss Sharif intervened and thought the matter was closed.

She then heard the Wilsons' son talking on his mobile, telling someone to come to school with baseballs bats. The Wilsons arrived and charged into the yard, holding baseball bats above their heads as if they were going to hit somebody.

Philip Holden, for Charles Wilson, said the incident was very serious and unpleasant. The defendant had been having problems looking after the children because of their medical difficulties.

For Jayne Wilson, Roger Baldwin said the Wilsons' children were very much in the minority as white children at the school and had been bullied by groups of Asians.