NORTH-EAST pupils on an African trip found themselves in the middle of a tribal battle fought with bows and arrows.

The 13 teenagers and five staff from Framwellgate School, Durham City, dived for cover when their minibus drove into the conflict in the western region of Kenya.

They were astonished to see members of two tribes on either side of the road, shooting arrows at each other in a dispute over a cow.

They managed to get away without anyone being hurt.

The party was on a working holiday, helping to decorate a school for the deaf in the town of Maseno.

Science teacher George Kellett, who led the party, said: "We were about halfway between the place where we'd been on safari and the school, 50km from nowhere.

"It was nothing political, it was just a standard tribal battle. There were 30 or 40 from each tribe on each side of the road.

"They were hiding in the crops and then running to the side of the road and firing arrows.

"They were firing them high in the air in the hope they would hit someone on the other side.

"The pupils thought wow, what's going on, but there was a bit of fear. It was quite exciting, but it was a case of getting your head down below the window and the driver putting his foot down to get away.''

Mr Kellett said the battle was between the Masai and another tribe, and that it was over a cow: the Masai believes that all cows belong to them.

The 16-day trip in August, for Duke of Edinburgh Award participants, included a visit to the Kenyan capital Nairobi and a four-day safari.