PUPILS from two Andover secondary schools planned to fight each other with knives in a park showdown designed to settle an unfinished score.

But police were tipped off about the fight - between teenagers from John Hanson Community School and Winton School - due to take place in one of the town's parks on Friday night.

The planned battle involved 29 teenagers, fuelled by apparent inter-school rivalry after John Hanson lost a recent football match to Winton.

One eyewitness said a gang of youngsters were seen gathering in Beckett Road before the fight saying they were 'off to a rumble'.

A phone call from a member of the public, who saw the youths arriving at Vigo Road's recreation ground at 8.40pm, alerted police. Once at the park they detained 29 teenagers - seven of whom were arrested for carrying weapons.

The fast response thwarted attempts to begin the fight. Officers were able to thoroughly search the teenagers because a section 60 notice, giving them the power to do so, had been prepared in advance.

Among the weapons police took off pupils from the two schools were a flick knife, tent pegs, half a cricket bat and a baseball bat, (pictured above).

One of the girls involved in the melee was 13.

Insp Brian Gravenor, of Andover police station, said: "The message is that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. Andover is generally a peaceful town and this incident is disappointing.

"I hope their parents were mortified when told their children were involved in this type of thing."

Of the 29 youngsters aged between 13 and 16, nine were girls.

The last of the seven pupils arrested was released from the police station at 12.30am on Friday. Two 16-year-olds were released on police bail.

Police say that investigations into the fight are now ongoing and one of the two youngsters released on bail will be dealt with according to Home Office guidelines.

In a joint statement from Steve Evatt, headteacher of John Hanson Community School and Andrew Smith, headteacher of Winton School,they said: "Although this incident occurred outside of school we had both been made aware in advance that something may be going to happen and we worked closely with the police, pupils and parents to do all we could to encourage the pupils to stay at home.

"We are very disappointed in our pupils who were involved in the incident and are treating this matter very seriously. We are continuing to co-operate fully with the police investigation currently under way.

"Our schools have always had a good working and playing relationship and regularly take part in a range of inter-school activities, including competitive sports. All Andover's town schools work closely together, and this is reflected in our unique partnership bid for specialist schools status to raise the aspiration levels of all our pupils."