AN increasing number of children are missing school because they are frightened of being bullied.

A Bolton anti-bullying expert said that in the school year that has just ended, 25 children were so terrified of bullies, they point blank refused to go to school.

And in some cases, they refused to leave their homes.

Nicola Schofield, of independent anti-bullying charity Bully Free Zone, based in Palace Street, Bolton, said that in the last 12 months, 87 calls had been made to their helpline from children scared of bullies. Of that number, 25 said they were not going to school because of them.

Miss Schofield said: "The true figure is probably much higher because not everyone who is being bullied will use our telephone helpline."

The charity records about 50 calls a year to their helpline about bullying. Miss Schofield said this year's rise in calls is probably down to youngsters being more aware of the helpline rather than an increase in bullying.

Miss Schofield said there had been cases of youngsters making themselves physically sick and harming themselves in a bid to get out of going to school. Cases of bullying have involved both physical violence and verbal abuse and, in a few terrifying examples, gangs of youths have been actually going round to their victims' homes and targeting entire families.

Bully Free Zone has learned that a small number of youngsters in Bolton have been driven to seriously contemplating suicide because of bullying, with many of the bullying victims they have met are suffering from loss of self-esteem and even depression. In some cases the police have had to be called in to deal with violent bullies.

Miss Schofield said some schools have had to implement measures such as telling bully victims to arrive at school ten minutes late and leave ten minutes early to avoid being targeted by bullies en route.

She added: "There is a difference between bullying at primary school and secondary school. In primary schools, children are probably more aware that they can tell somebody they are being bullied. Plus, you have a greater staff-pupil ratio.

"In secondary schools it's a much larger area and bullying can get hidden. This is not a criticism of the schools - it's just the way it is."

To combat the bullies, Bully Free Zone has a range of measures it can implement, including school peer support schemes, and various self-esteem exercises can be organised for victims to boost their sense of self worth.

The Zone also helps to set up meetings between victims, schools and parents and offers support and guidance.