POLICE are investigating after a young girl was attacked by a group of hooded teenagers while she was on her way to school in County Durham.

The Year 6 pupil was left very upset and shaken after five teenage boys set upon her while she walked through the Winsdor Gardens area of Shildon.

The girl, who attends Timothy Hackworth Primary School, was assaulted and pushed to the ground by the gang, aged around 15, who were all dressed in black school trousers and zipped-up black hoodies.

It happened at around 8.30am, with a dog walker stopping to help the girl.

The school's headteacher Lynn Boulton slammed the "disgraceful, intolerable and unacceptable" behaviour in a public appeal for information.

Posting on the school's Facebook page, she said: "If you saw these boys and know who they are, please inform the school immediately.

"Unfortunately, these boys set upon one of our female Y6 pupils on the way to school yesterday, leaving her very upset and shaken by the incident.

"Thank you to the male passer-by walking his dog who stopped to help our pupil. We are very grateful for this.

"Please be extra vigilant if your child walks to and from school alone.

"Local residents, please keep a close eye for any suspicious/criminal behaviour and report this immediately to the police.

"Please pass on any information that you might have, to help to stop this disgraceful, intolerable and unacceptable behaviour which none of us want to witness, or be part of, in our local community."

Durham Police confirmed officers are investigating the incident. 

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “We are investigating reports that a girl was assaulted and pushed to the ground by a group of boys while walking alone through a park in Shildon on Tuesday morning.

“Anyone with information about the incident, which happened at approximately 8.30am, is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101 and quote incident number 70 of March 23.”