A pair of hooded youths shouted obscenities at primary school pupils in Oxenhope, according to a parish council member.

Councillor Jeremy Mackrell said he was told about the incident outside Oxenhope Primary School by a parent earlier in the week.

He said he understood the school’s new head teacher — Dan Burns — was supervising activities with children in the playground when the older youths appeared and began being verbally abusive.

He said Mr Burns responded by taking the pupils indoors.

Sgt Mark Wheeler, of the Worth Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), was present at the council meeting and said he would investigate the matter.

Sgt Wheeler said six criminal offences were reported in Oxenhope last month.

He said the most serious of these involved a quad bike being stolen from a barn.

He said the crimes also included one minor assault, recorded following a fight between two youths.

He said officers would continue to work on reducing anti-social behaviour in the Station Road and Rose Garden areas.

l Councillors were surprised at a response from Bradford Council that highlights an environmental consequence of removing ragwort.

They had previously called for the plant to be cut back wherever it appeared, as it was poisonous when consumed by livestock.

But the email from the district council pointed out the plant was required to allow a species of moth — the Cinnabar — to breed effectively.

Cllr Mackrell said someone had got rid of the ragwort on Marsh Common, adding that the parish council only needed it to be controlled, not eradicated.

Council chairman Cllr Neal Cameron said he would contact the Keighley Area Co-ordinator’s office to find out what steps were being taken to tackle the plant.