THE FAMILIES of two pupils injured in an outbreak of violence at school say they are too afraid to send them back to classes.

They said they will keep Ayaaz Darr, 16, and Amanat Yousaf, 15, both from Duke Bar, Burnley, away from Hameldon Community College until they are reassured about security.

Meanwhile attendance at the school yesterday fell to just 25 per cent as more than 750 pupils stayed away.

On Monday - the first day since the violence - attendance was 52 per cent.

Police were called to the college on Friday lunchtime after an intruder stepped from a large crowd of watching pupils and hit Ayaaz over the head with a baseball bat.

Amanat suffered a fit after being punched a short time later outside a school office.

Both attackers then fled from the school, which was placed in special measures after being found to be failing by Ofsted inspectors in March.

Abdul Hafeez Darr, the uncle of Ayaaz, said his nephew was a model student.

He said: "I find it deplorable that he and Amanat should not only be attacked in this way but also set upon by people from outside the school.

"I have spoken to a number of parents over the past few days who all feel not enough is being done.

"School should be a safe environment where their children are encouraged to reach their full potential.

"It was heart breaking to see Amanat upset at the hospital asking me what he did to deserve his injuries, and what was the point of reporting matters to the police and school as they didn't care about him.

"I was ashamed, as I had no answer for the position that we had placed our future generation into."

Ayaaz, who is captain of the school cricket team and in the top sets for most of his classes, said of the school: "It was getting better for a bit but now things are worse."

Amanat's father Ali added: "It is the school's responsibility to look after students. Why were there no teachers around and why was there no supervision?"

County Councillor Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for children and young people, which oversees the school, said they were doing "everything they could" to ensure pupils' safety.

He said: "We will take all necessary actions, with the school, to ensure that pupils and teachers are safe.

"While we fully appreciate their concerns, parents keeping their children away from school at this time can only harm their education and we would urge parents to send their children back to school."