A 13-year-old girl was called a 'n*****' and had her acrylic fingernails ripped off in an alleged racist attack at a funfair.

The teenager was part of a group of black and mixed-race girls who claim they were abused and then assaulted by a group of older white girls at Funderworld travelling carnival in Bristol.

Avon & Somerset Police are treating the incident as a hate crime, while the victim faces surgery to repair the serious damage to her hands.

A spokesperson for Funderworld said they were aware of the 'altercation', but said the alleged aggressors were also a mixed group of 'BME and white people'.

A 13-year-old girl faces surgery to repair damage to her hands, pictured, after her acrylic fingernails were ripped off in a 'racist attack' at a funfair in Bristol

Her mother Lindsay Dunn, pictured with her daughter whose identity is not being revealed, said the teenager was racially abused before the attack by 'white girls'

The girl's mother Lindsay Dunn said the group were singing along to music on one of the attraction's rides when the confrontation started.

She said: 'A group of older white girls told them to stop singing and be quiet.

'When they got off the ride, this group followed them off and began calling them the n-word, and giving them racist abuse.

'The initial part of this incident was racially motivated, and that rings alarm bells with me.

'My daughter and her friends were upset and angry at this and argued back, and then the group of older girls jumped them, and started attacking them.

'I'm told people around intervened and the security got there.'

She added: 'My daughter suffered serious injuries - basically she was wearing acrylic nails and they were all ripped off in the attack. She was left bleeding badly.

'There was no security around at the time of the attack, one of my daughter's friends had to get the security to come and help.

'They took my daughter to the first aid room and we were called, and I understand the police were called, but before the police got there, the group of girls who attacked my daughter and her friends were led off the premises and walked away.

'They didn't take their names when they've witnessed a child bleeding and injured, so they knew it was serious. They didn't call the police to detain the attackers.

'And my daughter's friends were also just chucked out onto the road without any concern for their welfare.

'They were all shaking and distraught, but it was just "get them off-site, brush it under the carpet".

'When I went to talk to the Funderworld people, I was offered a complimentary ticket.'

Ms Dunn, pictured with her daughter, has criticised the standard of security at the funfair

A Funderworld spokesperson said: 'There was an altercation between two groups of young people which the security staff were called to attend.

'To de-escalate the situation and maintain calm, the two parties were escorted to separate exit points.

'The incident between the two groups appears likely to have been an altercation rather than a race issue, as the alleged assailants were, in fact, a mixed group who comprised of both BME and white people.'

Bristol's Lord Mayor Cleo Lake said she takes the matter 'extremely seriously' and has requested an investigation.

She said: 'I have requested officers to contact Funderworld today and they must report back by tomorrow.

'I deplore any type of racism, bullying or violence. Fairs should be fun places where young people feel safe and should incidents arise we should have confidence that the fair managers and their security address the matter appropriately with urgency.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Constabulary appealed for witnesses to come forward.

The spokesperson said: 'We were called to reports of a disturbance at a funfair at Westbury Road on Saturday, at about 8pm.

'Two groups of girls were involved in an argument, which led to one of the girls being assaulted.

'The incident is being treated as a potential race hate crime. Police enquiries into the incident are continuing.

'Anyone who saw the incident and has information is asked to contact us quoting 5219080812.'