A headmaster is urging parents to help crack down on youths engaging in armed warfare.

Dr Bob Dingle, headmaster of Seaham School of Technology, spoke after three teenagers were arrested in two incidents of armed combat in the town.

Groups of youngsters congregated on the school playing fields on Saturday, then in the town centre's Church Street on Monday, armed with chains, baseball bats, sticks, shovels and golf clubs.

When the police arrived, most of the youngsters - some thought to have been as young as eight - ran away, although three 13 year-olds were arrested.

Many of those involved were pupils at either Seaham School of Technology or St Aidan's RC School, in Sunderland, from where they travelled specifically to take part.

Following the two incidents, police recovered around 20 weapons, as well as an ice hockey mask.

Dr Dingle said that while nobody was injured, the school was trying to engage parents to help prevent a recurrence of the fighting.

"Parents are responsible for these youngsters for 19 hours out of 24, but sadly I see very little evidence of them having knowledge of or controlling their children's behaviour," he said.

"This is a big wake up call for a number of parents.

"We want to avoid it being a visit to hospital or worse."

Dr Dingle said those responsible for the fighting were a minority, which the school was targeting.

"We have identified groups of youngsters and they have been spoken to individually," he said.

"We have also arranged for the police to speak to them.

"I'm hopeful and fairly confident that we can beat this."