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More than 1,300 have signed an online petition accusing staff at Hinde House School in Sheffield of covering up the violence for fear of being branded 'racist’.

The campaign was launched when 14-year-old pupil Rhys Larkings was left with a broken nose and black eyes after being punched to the ground by Roma Slovak teens.

Rhys, who was one of two boys attacked, needed hospital treatment after the bust up sparked by a row over a football.

South Yorkshire Police were called and are probing the attack.

Parents claim it was only the latest in a string of brutal incidents including assaults and stabbings.

Head Chris French has excluded the three attackers and admits there are 'tensions’ at the 1,200-pupil school the catchment area of which includes Fir Vale where thousands of Eastern European immigrants are housed and where last year there were a series of street gang fights.

More than 38% of pupils do not have English as a first language.

Victim Rhys said he was turned on after a football hit one of the Roma Slovak pupils.

He said: ''They came up to me and said, 'was it you?' I said 'no’ and he just suddenly hit me.

''One came and punched me first and the other two jumped in. My mates dragged them off me and I was dragged out. Three people punched me in the face.

''They split my eye open straight away. I've got two black eyes and a broken nose. I wasn't able to defend myself I had blood in my eyes.’’

His mum Lorraine, 42, said: ''I'm upset and disgusted. You send your children to school to be educated not to be assaulted.

''Rhys was in a state - he had two black eyes, lacerations to his face and a broken nose. I am now keeping him off school until November.

''The school will make a decision on whether to permanently exclude these students on Thursday and that is the action I am wanting them to take.

''Rhys is not a troublemaker. He was just minding his own business when someone kicked a ball inside the school and it hit one of these pupils.

''After this attack on Rhys one of his friends who was nearby was hit on the back of the neck with a knuckleduster. Police have been to the house and we were told that this could be treated as an incident of grievous bodily harm because it is so serious.

''There have been other incidents involving Roma Slovak pupils going back two years and I have heard of knives being brought into school.

"Something needs to be done about this and quickly. This used to be a respectable working class area but it is changing and we can't have our children subjected to this sort of violence.

"My argument is why, if there are tensions in the school, nothing has been done to stop it.

''It has all kicked off now.’’

The petition calls for the head 'no longer ignore the intimidation, violence and gang-like culture that is rife in his school’ and draws comparisons to the fact police and social services were reluctant to act over Asian sex gangs in nearby Rotherham.

It adds: ''As head he has to grasp the nettle and not be afraid of dealing with anyone from this community and treat every incident with equal measure as he would pupils from other backgrounds and not be seen to show more tolerance of bad behaviour from one group over any other.

''Children have been stabbed, mugged and nearly kicked to death in his school in which he claims everything is ok and we have had enough.

''We have all seen what happens when those in authority turn a blind eye for fear of being labelled racist from what has been happening in Rotherham and throughout the country.

''Although it is not the same kind of criminal activity the principle is still the same where justice is not being done and people are left victims because those who can, fail to act.’’

In a letter to parents Mr French, whose school caters for children aged three to 16, said the attack was 'a serious incident’ but was 'dealt with swiftly’.

''Tension between small numbers of children in Year 10 has been apparent for the last few weeks. Staff had been dealing with this day to day,’’ he said.

''We always take the safety and welfare of our pupils extremely seriously and note that incidents such as this are extremely rare.’’

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: ''Investigations are ongoing.’’