RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans was given corporal punishment twice at Dynevor School in Wales and he believes it controlled his behaviour.

He said: "I am in favour of it in some cases because it is the only language they understand but it would have to be strictly controlled and monitored."

Mr Evans cited the recent case of two 15-year-old boys who sent death threats to their teacher in Surrey.

The incident prompted a national outcry after an appeal panel told the school to reinstate the pupils.

It was only after the intervention of former Education Minister Estelle Morris that the boys were irrevocably expelled.

Mr Evans said if the two boys had been given corporal punishment as their bad behaviour formed in the early stages, they might not have caused such trouble.

He added: "Now the situation is out of control and it's too late. They did it in the Isle of White for an experiment and it was a success in controlling crime there.

"I feel that it's a short, sharp procedure. I am talking about a small minority of people. With the violence and maliciousness they purport to others, it is a like punishment for what they do.

"I am not saying if someone talks in class they should be caned, but when someone is a complete bully then I think there is recourse to that punishment."

The private Christian Fellowship School in Liverpool mounted a legal challenge to the 1998 ban on corporal punishment.

Headteacher Phil Williamson is expecting a ruling from the appeal court in the next few days. He said: "Children need to have boundaries in their lives and they need to know that if they step over these boundaries that somebody will be there to correct them.

"Corporal discipline has been in this country for centuries and centuries and it has been very successful in instilling in children respect for the law."

He added that pre-1998 at the most three or four children would be given corporal punishment with parental consent. Primary age pupils would be smacked on the hand or leg and secondary school age children hit on the bottom with a ruler-type instrument.