THE sight of ginger coloured hair may have sparked frenzied attacks by a 15-year-old schoolgirl on two fellow pupils.

One of the victims of an assault by Claire Robertson was suffering from a defective heart valve, Linlithgow Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

Robertson became angry when she spotted the girl chatting to pals in the playground and punched her helpless victim to the ground before repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body during an unprovoked attack at Broxburn Academy in Broxburn, West Lothian, in February.

Robertson, now 16, was eventually hauled off by a teacher and taken into the school.

However, a few minutes later Robertson lashed out again at another girl pupil. She was punched in the face before having her head repeatedly banged off a wall and then kneed several times in the face by Robertson.

Depute-fiscal Michelle Paterson told the court both girls suffered cuts and bruises from their savage beatings.

She said: ''The accused did not give any reason for the attacks. She appeared to have a smell of alcohol coming from her breath.

''Both victims had ginger coloured hair and the accused had recently had an altercation with her boyfriend who had ginger coloured hair.''

Robertson, of Letham Place, Pumpherston, was expelled from the school because of the attacks.

A defence solicitor said: ''She simply flew off the handle.''

Robertson was told to save up #100 to pay in compen-sation to her victims and ordered to be of good be-haviour for six months by Sheriff Ian Donald.

The sheriff added: ''If you bring the money to court and behave yourself you may be dealt with leniently. If not, you won't.''