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A 13-year-old girl will undergo surgery on her hands after a "racist attack" at a funfair.

The child was set upon by a gang of youngsters at Funderworld on the Downs, in Bristol, on April 13, her mum has claimed.

The teenager was with a group of black and dual heritage friends when an argument broke out with a group of white girls, reports Bristol Live.

The child's mother, Lindsay Dunn, who does not want to reveal her child's name, said the attack happened after her daughter and her friends were singing along to music while on one of the attraction's rides.

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.

“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.

(Image: James Beck/Freelance)

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

“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 or anything, 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’.

(Image: James Beck/Freelance)

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

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

The incident was reported to the police, and an investigation is now getting underway.

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

“We were called to reports of a disturbance at a funfair at Westbury Road on Saturday, at about 8pm,” he said.

“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,” he added.

“Anyone who saw the incident and has information is asked to contact us quoting 5219080812,” he said.

(Image: James Beck/Freelance)

In a statement issued to Bristol Live on April 15, 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,” she added.

"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."

Ms Dunn said she was angry at the response from Funderworld security in the aftermath of the attack.

Bristol’s Lord Mayor Cleo Lake, who is the automatic chair of the Downs Committee which controls the land Funderworld is renting, said she takes the matter "extremely seriously" and she has requested an investigation.