Clarke's son sent home for swearing

The son of Charles Clarke, the Secretary of State for Education, was suspended from his state secondary school yesterday for swearing.

The 16-year-old spent the day at his Norwich home after being suspended for abusing a member of the school staff who had confiscated his football. He will be allowed back to school on Monday.

Mr Clarke issued a statementafter his department had been contacted by at least two national newspapers concerning the incident. He said: "My son was excluded for one day as a result of an incident where he swore at a member of the ground staff who confiscated his football. The matter is one for the school, which has acted properly following its own disciplinary process, and my family. I have nothing further to say."

According to other pupils at the school, Mr Clarke's son was carrying a football when a fellow pupil kicked it out of his hand. It landed close to the male caretaker's assistant, who confiscated it. Mr Clarke's son then swore at him.

Mr Clarke, who made truancy and behaviour in schools the theme of one of his first speeches in office, is not the first minister to be embarrassed by the behaviour of his offspring.

The son of Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary who was the home secretary at the time, was cautioned by police after he sold cannabis to an undercover newspaper reporter. The identity of the minister and his child were not disclosed until Mr Straw decided to go public to end days of media speculation.

In his speech within the first month of taking office, Mr Clarke made it clear that tackling poor behaviour and attendance levels among pupils was a priority for the Government. Mr Clarke told the Social Market Foundation think-tank: "It is time to restore respect for authority to its rightful place. That in turn must mean a sustained drive to strengthen school discipline."

Norfolk County Council, the education authority responsible for the school, and the school's headteacher refused to comment.