BRUTAL attacks on German students in Weymouth are forcing language school leaders to consider pulling out of the town.

They today appealed for businesses, schools and youth groups to work together to halt the campaign of violence against visiting teenagers.

Fran Davies, joint co-ordinator of the Europartner language school in Weymouth, said students had been beaten up, taunted by 'Hitler Youth' chants, had coins thrown at them and spat at by local teenagers.

In the latest attack, three girls aged 14 and 15 were kicked and punched to the floor of a bus on Weymouth seafront by a gang of girls.

The 14-year-old received treatment in hospital and later had an epileptic fit due to shock.

Mrs Davies said: "We have reached a very depressing situation where some students are terrified to use public transport. They are regularly in floods of tears because they have been assaulted, verbally or physically, by local children.

"I don't know where all this anger comes from, it is mindless."

She stressed that many students enjoyed themselves in Weymouth but appealed for the community to work together to prevent other youngsters having bad experiences.

Europartner is bringing record numbers of foreign students to Weymouth this summer following a drop-off in numbers over the past few years due to factors like the war in Iraq and international terrorism, BSE and the foot and mouth crisis.

Mrs Davies estimates the spin-off to the local economy from Europartner to be worth at least £350,000 a year

She added: "I would urge people to do what they can if they see students being attacked." Tina Sitzer, one of the German group leaders, said: "It's very frightening for the students. All they want is to have happy memories of their time in England but they are facing so much aggression."

Steffi Beyer, whose family operates Europartner in the UK, said the company was thinking of pulling out of Weymouth after this year if the violence continued.

She said: "It's reached a point in Weymouth where we seriously have to consider the future.

"We have a reputation to uphold and we want the young people to be safe.

"When parents hear their children have been hurt they lose confidence in the company which means we lose business.

"Weymouth must work together to sort out the problem."

Acting Inspector Geoff Hicks, of East Weymouth Police, said officers were investigating the assaults and appealed for information from the public.

He said: "We will not tolerate attacks on visiting students. We encourage people to report any incidents they see."