STAFF at a Salford anti-truancy office were sent home for their own safety after they were attacked by yobs.

Workers at the building in Britannia Street say they were besieged for three days by a teenage gang who hurled abuse and missiles at passers-by.

The gang smashed windows and youths climbed on a flat roof, causing more disturbance to office workers inside.

When a security guard confronted the teenagers, he was met with to a torrent of verbal abuse and his car was smashed up.

The situation became so bad that council bosses decided to send workers home for their own safety on Friday.

Staff at the education welfare office investigate truancy, but also work with social workers, police, and a youth offending team to support pupils with problems.

Coun John Warmisham, spokesman for children's services in Salford, said: "We don't know if the young people in these incidents have had some dealings with the staff, and this is a way at getting back at them, but it is one possibility.

Vulnerable

"The security guard seems to have taken the brunt of it. Windows have been broken, and other criminal damage has been caused.

"The building is in what used to be the former Pope John Paul II high school and the staff were due to leave in September anyway because it is being demolished.

"However, I took the decision that they should move out now. I was not prepared to leave dedicated staff in such a vulnerable situation.

"It is a sad state of affairs, because ultimately the staff are trying to help children and families.

"Police were called to the buildings on a number of occasions.

"Although it is the school summer holidays the staff were working, catching up on a backlog of cases and important legal work.

"They have now been relocated and will work somewhere else on a temporary basis until their base is ready."

Three months ago in the same area a hooded gang robbed a group of youth workers as they held an evening meeting in a local church. Tweet