PARENTS and head teachers are calling for the return of "Nitty Nora" to tackle headlice.

The angry parents of a five-year-old boy who has been sent home from school three times with headlice are calling on health bosses to reinstate head inspections by nurses.

And headteachers are backing their call, claiming nurses were removed for financial reasons and the problem is getting worse.

But East Lancashire health chiefs insist inspections by nurses will not be reintroduced and parents are responsible for checking their children for lice.

David and Lisa Allen's son Josh has been sent home from Green Haworth Primary, Accrington, three times since starting school in September.

David's younger brother Joseph, 11, has also come home from Moor End Primary, Oswaldtwistle, with headlice.

Mrs Allen, of Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle, said: "Josh has been upset about being sent home. He hasn't been picked on but all the other children know.

"We constantly check and treat his hair and the lotion can be very expensive. But some parents mustn't be checking their children. "It's time they either brought back nurses for head inspections or allow parents to come in and check the children."

Irene Wensley, headteacher at Green Haworth, said:"The problem is widespread and the same at many schools.

"I think it was a funding issue and we'd like to see nurses doing full inspections again."

Moor End head Steve Isherwood said: "We've done everything we possibly can to raise parents' awareness through talks with nurses. That's our only option."

Sudell County Primary, Darwen, trained a team of parents to perform head inspections before Christmas.

Headteacher Adrian Woods said:"We have inspections once a fortnight and the results have been tremendous.

"My view remains that the decision to stop head inspections by nurses was made on financial grounds."

Dr Stephen Morton, director of public health for East Lancashire Health Authority, said: "We don't recommend inspections by school nurses any more because they weren't making a difference.

"This is a much wider community problem. Six-monthly checks create a false sense of security for parents and don't stop day-to-day transmission of lice from one child's head to another.

"We didn't take any money out of the school nurse service. It's more effective to increase knowledge among parents so they inspect their own children.

"I wouldn't advise parents to check the heads of other people's children because they leave themselves open to being accused of assault if other parents object to the way their children were inspected. It is up to the schools to get consent from all parents."

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