A HEADMASTER was attacked as he supervised a youngsters' cricket match - the second assault on a Bolton teacher in a week.

It happened as Arnold Slaney, from St Stephen and All Martyrs CE School in Darcy Lever, stopped a fight between two children.

Chairman of governors, Jack Ward, said Mr Slaney had also stopped nearby thugs chanting racial taunts before he was hit.

As he walked from the cricket field in Farnworth, Mr Slaney was suddenly punched.

Mr Ward added: "He said he thought he had walked into a post when he was hit. He had three days off school but he's struggled back. He would come back even if he had a broken leg.

"Apparently things had got a little awkward and so he picked up the stumps to walk off. He can't remember seeing anyone come up to him before he was hit. "This man has given his own free time to organise these cricket and football games and has helped kids to enjoy them. All he gets in return is this. It's despicable treatment."

A spokesman at the Radcliffe Road primary school confirmed that Mr Slaney had been checked over at the hospital's casualty department.

No arrest has yet been made but a police spokesman confirmed that officers were investigating.

The head is now back at work but was unavailable for comment.

News of the shock attack comes just days after the BEN revealed that thugs had attacked another teacher on fields at St Matthew's CE Primary School, Little Lever, while he supervised a football game. One concerned man - who refused to be named - said he was writing to Bolton South East MP Brian Iddon, about the attacks.

And today Dr Iddon said: "I will call for a meeting with the council's director of education to see if there are any practical steps we can take to solve this problem.

"It's a sad sign of the times when yobbos go on the attack like this. Whoever has committed these attacks must be crazy."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.