The headmistress of a Downham school played down reports of a mass brawl between parents as children left school for the day.

Margaret Ayres, headmistress of Rangefield Primary School in Downham, admitted an argument did take place between several parents, but no children were caught up in the incident. She also insisted she had personally intervened to resolve the problem.

It is believed the fight, which broke out on December 14, occurred when the angry parents confronted one another over a disagreement their children were having at school. Other parents were horrified by the scenes, and one contacted the News Shopper, claiming school staff were slow to intervene and children were left distressed by the incident. The woman, who did not wished to be named, was particularly angry the fight was not mentioned in assembly the next day when almost the whole school had seen the incident.

However, Mrs Ayres said the entire event had been blown out of proportion and parents were making a mountain out of a molehill.