Far-right politicians are targeting the region's schools in a bid to recruit children as young as 11.

The British National Party (BNP) claims to have gained supporters in seven North-East schools, colleges and universities.

They are listed on a website run by the organisation's youth wing, Young BNP. They include Framwellgate School in Durham, and Nunthorpe Community School on Teesside.

Both schools said they wished to distance themselves from the BNP and would be discouraging pupils from signing up.

Joan Sjovoll, head teacher at Framwellgate School, said: "We distance ourselves completely from the party and we have investigated and no school computers were used to contact the party."

Others on the list are Stockton Sixth Form College on Teesside, York St John College, Sunderland and York Universities and Selby College, in North Yorkshire The website encourages "whites only" to join 'Young BNP' - the youth faction of the party.

It states: "The young BNP is the radical voice of white youth in Britain today.

"When Britain's youth is brainwashed by the liberal-left establishment in schools, colleges and universities and the towns and cities they live in are turning into a foreign land."

School governors and anti-fascist groups in the region branded the tactics as 'racist' and 'deplorable'.

Mike Hartman of Tyne and Wear Anti-Fascist Association said: "It's very thinly-disguised racism."

A spokesperson for the University of Sunderland said: "Within a population of nearly 15,000 students, there will be a range of political opinions and beliefs.

"However, the university has had a strongly international outlook for many years and is committed to multiculturalism and diversity. As an organisation committed to equality we will not tolerate racism."