Police in Canada are investigating attacks on children with red hair after an anti-ginger group was set up by a teenager on Facebook.

Officers said a teenager was believed to be behind the online site promoting "National Kick a Ginger Day".

It is thought an episode of the animated series South Park, known for its satirical humour, recently focused on redheads and that the programme was the inspiration for the Facebook bullying campaign.

One attack happened at Calgary High School, where a pupil left battered and bruised after being assaulted by a gang of 13 other students.

Kevin Brookwell of Calgary Police Service said: "This is being looked at as a hate crime type incident. This individual, if it does turn out to be the case, was targeted because they were a redhead."

Student Ken Logel said: "I have a few buddies with red hair, you just kind of kick them lightly just as a joke but when it gets carried away that's not cool."

Classmate Simon Burke said: "Some kids took it too far in the locker-room and ended up really hurting one of the kids at our school and it's really hard to hear about it and pretty disappointing."

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.