A LEIGH woman claims her sick parents lives are being made a misery by schoolchildren hurling stones over their back garden wall .

Norma Riding has complained to police, Leigh MP Andy Burnham and the headmaster of Leigh CE Junior School in Henrietta Street, Leigh, Mr Brian Fawcett, after the latest incident in which her father was struck on the shoulder.

She claims that in the last 18 months her virtually housebound parents in Church Street, Leigh, have phoned the school six times to complain about large pebbles being thrown, and recently police were called in after her father was hit.

She said the head teacher assured the family the complaint would be treated seriously and on a visit police said a community officer would visit the next day but failed to do so. Three weeks later a visit to Leigh police station let to another promise of a visit which did not materialise.

She said: "I fear for the children in that school where good manners are not practised by the people in charge and as for the police it seems obvious that the safety of their senior citizens in their homes is not a priority for them."

Mr Fawcett said: "We are saddened and distressed that two of our children have let us down and failed to live up to the high standards of behaviour we set in our Code of Conduct. We remain proud of all the other 360 children in school who every day represent our school with exemplary behaviour.

"Our recent Ofsted report described us as an A grade school in which our children were commended for their behaviour and achievements.

"I spoke to Ms Riding following this incident and have written to her explaining the action we have taken and offering her and her parents our sincere apologies. We have invited her and her parents into school to see us and I very much hope that they will now accept our invitation."

A police spokesman said: "There was a misunderstanding in that the officers did not realise the community officer was on leave. Arrangements have been made for him to see the couple. The police care about everyone and we do our best to investigate all reports."