A BOY of nine was attacked with a knife outside a trouble-plagued junior school.

And now the school is demanding a high fence to keep out young louts.

The latest incident at Shadsworth Junior School, Blackburn, involved a pupil who was attacked by a boy, also younger than 10, from outside the school with a penknife.

He was not injured but his trousers were slashed by the knife.

Police are investigating the incident.

Acting head Philip Taylor says a two metre-high fence is needed to keep the school and its pupils safe.

His call came the day after County Hall bosses drew up a list of Lancashire schools desperate for extra protection from vandals and intruders.

Mr Taylor said the open layout of the school grounds meant outsiders - often children who had been excluded from other schools - had easy access to the playground.

Problems experienced by the school include:

Motorbikes being ridden through the school grounds at lunchtime

Youths doing handbrake turns in a car on the playing field during a game of rounders

A gang setting fire to an abandoned car near the school. Mr Taylor said minor incidents occurred every few days involving children who came on to the school site.

"Sometimes they just want to play with our pupils but the games get out of hand and turn into fights," he said.

"Other times they come deliberately looking for trouble,

"The welfare assistants frequently get a lot of abuse at dinner time.

" I regularly have to call the police to move people off the site."

Mr Taylor said the simplest solution would be to erect a high security fence around the school.

But the school cannot afford it, and is hoping that County Hall will come up with the cash.

"It would give the children a much safer environment at breaks and we would also be able to provide better playing facilities," said Mr Taylor.

"Anything we put out now gets vandalised at night,.

"We are trying to do the best for the kids here. They are wonderful children.

"But it is hard when they go outside and there are thugs threatening them. They learn that that is acceptable behaviour because they see them getting away with it.

"I know a lot of parents are concerned. We have learned to live with it but we have enough to do without having to deal with all this."

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