Teachers poised to shut out gun boys

Teachers at a school where two boys were excluded after being caught with an airgun last night voted to ballot on refusing to teach the pupils if they returned, writes Lucy Ward.

Their threat came after an independent appeals panel overturned a decision by the head and governors at Yorkshire Martyrs Collegiate School, Bradford, in West Yorkshire, to expel the two 14-year-olds.

Last night, talks were continuing between the Roman Catholic school, Bradford Council and the boys' parents to try to resolve the issue without a dispute.

Brian Garvey, Yorkshire representative of the National Association of Schoolmasters/ Union of Women Teachers - the main union at the school - said that refusing to teach the youngsters was the only course of action open to his members if the boys returned.