THE Kremlin knew terrorists were planning the Beslan school siege but failed to act, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled.

More than 1,000 children, parents and teachers were held in the North Ossetian school for over two days in 2004 until Russian troops stormed the building.

As many as 334 people died, including 186 children, with 750 others injured. Only one of the captors was taken alive.

Yesterday the ECHR said Russia had learned an attack was imminent against an educational facility in the area days earlier, but did nothing to disrupt the terror group’s preparations, prevent it travelling to the school or warn teachers or the public.

In a case brought by 409 survivors and families of victims, judges also found the “indiscriminate and disproportionate” force used by security forces against the hostage-takers – including tank cannon, grenade launchers and flame-throwers – had contributed to the deaths of hostages.

Ordered to pay £2.5 million in compensation for multiple violations of Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which enshrines the right to life.

Reacting the judgement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “absolutely unacceptable”, rejecting the court’s description of “serious failings” in Russia’s actions.

Meanwhile, the country’s justice ministry said an appeal would be lodged against the ruling, claiming the court did not understand “the full seriousness of the situation in Beslan after the seizing of the hostages” and the “risks of the process of carrying out a rescue operation by law enforcement authorities”.

The ruling follows more than a decade of campaigning by those affected by the massacre, which was reported around the world.

Masked members of the Riyadus-Salikhin “martyr battalion” entered the courtyard of Beslan’s School Number One and opened fire during a ceremony marking the start of the school year in September 2004.

The captors, who forced hostages into the gym hall, where explosives were attached to basketball hoops, demanded Russian forces leave Chechnya and Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev said he was behind the incident. Vladimir Putin was in his fifth year of presidency at the time and there had been two recent suicide bombings in Moscow.

Those held at Beslan were denied food, water and medical help and Nurpashi Kulaev, the only terror group member who survived, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2006, families denounced a report by a Russian parliamentary commission exonerating Russian security forces as a whitewash.

In a written judgement, the court said: “The authorities had been in possession of sufficiently specific information of a planned terrorist attack in the area, linked to an educational institution.

“Nevertheless, not enough had been done to disrupt the terrorists meeting and preparing; insufficient steps had been taken to prevent them travelling on the day of the attack; security at the school had not been increased; and neither the school nor the public had been warned of the threat.”

Sergei Knyazkin, a lawyer for the victims, said families were “not fully satisfied” by the court’s ruling, with those affected to receive “very small amounts of compensation”.

Aneta Gadiyeva, a representative for the Mothers of Beslan group, lost a daughter in the siege. She said: “Some will receive 5,000 euros, some will receive 20,000 euros. Those are small sums for the compensation of moral damages.”