STONE-throwing youths attacked three school buses taking children home.

The window of at least one bus was smashed and the children inside were covered in splinters of glass on Friday afternoon.

Police were called to the incident near Sharples School at 3.15pm following reports of running fights involving dozens of youngsters in Ashworth Lane.

Teenagers, some dressed in school uniforms, were involved in clashes on the street but no injuries were reported.

The trouble is believed to have started when a large group of youths gathered outside the gates of Sharples School in Hill Cot Road shortly before school finished.

One resident heard a loud bang as bus windows were smashed as it drove past the end of Poplar Avenue. Then children fought with each other.

Phil Ainsworth, aged 38, of Ashworth Lane, said: "I heard all the noise and went outside to see what was going on.

"Kids were banging on the bus windows from the inside and some opened the emergency window at the back shouting abuse at people in the street. Several of the windows were smashed, with glass all over the street."

Another resident, Maureen Dearden, aged 73, said: "I was upstairs and heard all this racket. It was really loud because I could hear the echo in my house of kids shouting.

"By the time I came outside, some lads were running away and the bus driver was sending for the police. They came straight away.

"If this had happened a little earlier, there would have been kids from primary schools and mums with prams going past. These kids don't realise the danger they care causing to others and to themselves."

The bus, owned by Blue Bus, had several windows smashed during the fighting. A spokesman refused to comment.

A police spokesman said: "We were called to an incident on Ashworth Lane following reports of a disturbance.

"Two buses were stopped after having windows broken and traffic on the road was stopped in both directions. No injuries were reported."

One youth was later arrested in connection with the incident and a police investigation is under way.

A spokesman for Sharples School said the incident would be investigated.

He said: "As far as we are aware the bus was attacked by youths not from this school. It is impossible to comment further until we have more information, but the school will view any incident extremely seriously and take action if necessary."