The parents of a teenager forced to leave school after years of victimisation today backed the Government's new anti-bullying drive.

Kimberley Gordon, 16, left Yorkshire Martyrs Catholic College last Friday after her parents decided she was too frightened to continue.

John and Juliana Gordon say she had been bullied for three years but claimed the school in Westgate Hill, Bradford, failed to tackle the problem properly.

They say the final straw came when an incident on a school bus left her with concussion, two black eyes, a swollen face and whiplash injuries to her neck, back and arms.

Mr and Mrs Gordon, say they are "disgusted" by the way both the school and the police dealt with the issue and are backing Education Secretary David Blunkett's new campaign against bullying. Announcing the drive yesterday, Mr Blunkett said schools should take bullying seriously, whether it happened in the playground or outside.

Mr Gordon said: "It is most important that the emphasis is put on helping the victim because the victims have been suffering in silence for years.

"There are kids at school suffering who are not saying anything for fear of intimidation."

The Gordons say they were told by police that Kimberley's alleged attacker, a 16-year-old girl, had confessed to the attack on the bus but they were later told police would take no action because the other girl said she had also received a head injury.

Yorkshire Martyrs head teacher Vincent McNicholas confirmed police had decided to take no action.

He said: "Any allegation of bullying is treated very seriously indeed and is addressed in accordance with our bullying policy procedure."

A police spokesman said: "We investigated the compliant and it was decided there would be no further police action."