'PETRIFIED' pupils were confined to classrooms after a brawl broke out in the canteen of a Co Tyrone school yesterday.
Police arrested one boy after responding to reports of a lunchtime altercation at the 1,500-pupil Holy Cross College in Strabane.
It is understood two groups of boys clashed before 1pm following an earlier fight between two pupils.
Hundreds of pupils were in the canteen at the time and photographs emerged on social media showing young people in shock surrounded by upturned furniture.
Pupils claimed tables, chairs and plates were thrown and a window was smashed, while staff attempted to intervene.
Police are understood to have arrived quickly and removed some pupils while others were told to remain in their classrooms.
Parents at Holy Cross, which opened in 2004 following the amalgamation of St Colman’s High, Our Lady of Mercy High and Convent Grammar School, last night spoke of their shock.
"They tell you your children will be safe at school and you will be notified," one said.
"The school sent a text saying there was an incident that had been dealt with quickly and the school was operating as normal. I got it at 3.10pm."
Another mother-of-two told local radio that she was "afraid it's going to kick off again".
"The school should have contacted parents straight away as soon as it happened because I have had my two sons texting me, petrified, they are being locked in their classrooms and escorted everywhere. It's a good school, but I think the parents should have been informed."
Police confirmed that officers attended a report of an altercation "involving a number of pupils".
"All parents of the pupils involved have been contacted. No serious injuries have been reported at this stage," a spokeswoman said.
"One boy was arrested but was later released into the care of his parents."
The Ambulance Service said it too was called "but no-one was transported to hospital".
School principal Maria Doherty said police were called in a "supportive role" because of the hundreds of students present in the canteen and "the potential this situation had to escalate".
The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools said it "been assured that all proper processes have been followed and that there was minimal disruption to pupils".
