A YORK mother attacked another mum at the school gate as both collected their youngsters from class, a court heard.

Wendy Pamela Atkins, 33, must pay £200 compensation and may lose her job after she slammed Sharon Harrison's head against a concrete post in a row over playground taunts.

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said that the violence outside Hob Moor Community Primary School, in Acomb, shocked other parents and almost made watching infants cry.

Both women were collecting their children at the end of school on December 2, last year. The hair-pulling fight in Kingsway West was over remarks said to have been made by Atkins' son to Mrs Harrison's daughter.

Atkins, of Woodford Place, Acomb, denied causing actual bodily harm, but was convicted after a trial.

York magistrates said she had suffered some provocation, but ordered Atkins to carry out 100 hours community punishment, pay Mrs Harrison £200 and prosecution costs of £340.

Mother-of-five Mrs Harrison said afterwards: "I thought she would get more than 100 hours' community punishment. I am still suffering from depression." She denied provoking Atkins.

Mr Butterworth said that Atkins grabbed Mrs Harrison's hair, punched her several times in the face and kicked her.

One eye-witness saw Mrs Harrison being pushed against a concrete post and both women fighting each other. At one stage, Mrs Harrison was on the ground holding on to Atkins' legs.

Mrs Harrison told police that following the attack, she had been sick for three days and nights, her head hurt for four weeks and a doctor diagnosed her as having a suspected broken rib.

For Atkins, Martin Hawes said that her employers may sack her because of her conviction.

He said there was no medical evidence about the rib.

Atkins bitterly regretted her actions, which were out of character.

At the time, she was going through a marriage breakdown and on anti-depressants.

She had been working with the school over her son's behaviour.

Updated: 09:49 Saturday, October 11, 2003