A DISGRACED pupil has been kicked out of a Chorley school for allegedly supplying drugs.

The teenaged boy has been permanently expelled from St Michael's CE High, Astley Road, Chorley for passing cannabis to another pupil.

A worried parent, who asked not to be named, revealed: "My daughter came home and said they had been told in assembly that a pupil had been expelled for giving another pupil cannabis and that it wasn't going to be tolerated ."

She added: "I was most concerned, but I would say on the school's behalf that the headmaster, Mr Hardwick, doesn't go around blindfolded. He knows what's going on. I think he was quick to act and he acted right."

St Michael's, which had top TV journalist Martin Bashir - who exclusively interviewed Princess Diana for BBC's Panorama in November - presenting annual awards to pupils last week, was remaining tight- lipped. Headteacher Mr Robert Hardwick was unavailable for comment and the school would neither confirm nor deny the incident.

But in his absence, deputy head Mr Graham Shackleton told the Citizen: "There has for some time been an agreement between all the local high schools that any pupil caught passing on an illegal substance to another pupil would be permanently excluded."

Chairman of the board of governors Mrs Freda Armstrong was also unavailable for comment and other governors contacted would not speak about the matter.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "St Michael's is a voluntary aided school and the exclusion procedure there is a matter for the headteacher and governing body, not the county council."

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