SOME children have always revelled in making the lives of others hell at school.

You only have to look at examples of Victorian literature like Tom Brown's Schooldays to realise that there is nothing new about bullying and physical violence in and around our classrooms and corridors.

In today's litigious society, however, some parents will contact a solicitor and threaten to sue at the drop of a hat. So perhaps it's understandable that schools have to take steps to protect themselves from unnecessary and costly legal action.

But it does seem a shame that we have reached a situation where headteachers feel they have to publicly threaten detentions for any pupils involved in what youngsters at St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, call "birthday digs".

No one would condone any activity which involves some pupils deliberately hurting others. But an official ban does leave you wondering if rough and tumble sports like rugby are next in line for the chop.

Teachers have to balance preparing pupils for adult life with their obligation to keep them safe without trying to create a world in which children are wrapped in cotton wool.