CHILDREN as young as four have been reported for racist abuse and making inappropriate comments.

Almost 5,000 incidents have been reported across Essex from 2003 to 2013.

Across the county, teachers were victims on 381 occasions during the ten-year period.

Agnes Bishop, from the National Union of Teachers, said: “Over the past ten years, I have been alerted to maybe four or five incidents.

“They have been resolved quickly and inaway both sides were happy with.

“When it is a student on a teacher, it is done for protection of the teacher, even if it is just a comment, because it can quickly escalate into something much bigger.”

Whereas all schools provided information about incidents from 2003 to 2008, data since then is incomplete – only 31 per cent provided statistics for 2012/13, compared to 65 per cent the previous year.

But the statistics suggest incidents are on the rise – incidents were reported in only 26 per cent of schools in 2003/4, compared to 73 per cent of schools last year.

The problem has been more prevalent among younger children – last year 177 incidents took place in primary schools and 141 in secondary schools.

Retired headteacher David Iles, at Richard de Clare Primary School for 27 years, said: “The vast majority will be comments, but it is dangerous to just assume they are young and don’t know what they are doing, because that is complacent.

“A great deal of it is something said in the heat of the moment in the playground.

You always put a stop to it because it is bullying. We have to make it clear it is upsetting and we don’t upset each other.”

Incidents reported in Braintree district include 333 cases of insensitive or inappropriate comments being made and 235 incidents of verbal abuse.

Physical assault, physical intimidation, racist graffiti, damage to property and disrespectful behaviour are also listed as having taken place.

Responsibility for dealing with issues of bullying and alleged racism lie with individual school governing bodies, rather than Essex County Council.