Tuesday's disturbance at the gates of Thornhill Community Science College followed fighting in the playground the day before when a 14-year-old girl was taken to hospital with a suspected broken nose.

She was allegedly involved in a scrap with a boy – also 14 – and another boy who tried to intervene was also hurt.

Parents have claimed this was the latest in a string of altercations between Asian and white pupils – with problems coming from both sides.

The school was accused of 'brushing the problem under the carpet'.

Some parents were said to have kept their children at home later in the week for fear of further violence.

One parent said: "There is an ongoing problem at the school. There have been a number of incidents."

Another mother said people needed to know what was going on at the school.

It is understood the 14-year-old girl was white and the boy was Asian.

A police spokesman said officers were to the school at 11am on Monday after reports of a between a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

He said the girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries and enquiries were ongoing.

Tuesday's trouble erupted shortly before 1pm when police were called after reports that a number of males were causing a disturbance outside the school gates.

A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order offences and were bailed pending further enquiries.

The school's headteacher David Powell was unavailable for comment.