A BOLTON Tory election hopeful is calling for the restoration of corporal punishment in schools - with selected, trained teachers to wield the cane.

Robert Wilson, who will be fighting to keep Bolton North-east Conservative at the next election, believes the time has come to stem the "yob culture" in schools.

He is urging minsisters to reinstate corporal punishment, which was abolished in 1986, and has suggested that a teacher could be specially designated and trained to carry out the punishment. Mr Wilson says he believes corporal punishment should be part of a package to improve discipline in schools which, he says, are facing a growing number of unruly children. Mr Wilson said: "Corporal punishment has been abused in the past, but a judicious and carefully regulated system of punishment - perhaps administered by only appointed teachers - could help schools overcome the yob culture taking root in some schools.

"Corporal punishment, properly administered would deter bullies, minimise classroom disruption and help restore authority to teachers.

"Coupled with more engagement of parents in the behaviour of their children, an emphasis on the teaching of manners and the difference between right and wrong by both teachers and parents could make a real difference to Bolton."

But headteacher Mike Chapman of Brandwood Primary School, Daubhill said he was appalled by Mr Wilson's suggestion. He said today: "I think the suggestion that schools should have teachers specifically appointed to carry out punishments is quite appalling. Who on earth would do a job like that?

"I think we certainly need to take a careful look at all the sanctions available to us to maintain discipline because it is obvious that the system we have now is failing, but I think the return of corporal punishment would be a backward step. There is no evidence that it has any effect on school discipline."

And Bolton NUT leader, Tom Hanley, also condemned Mr Wilson's suggestion, and said corporal punishment was "institutionalised bullying."

Mr Hanley said: "Kids who behave badly must be dealt with fairly and firmly but corporal punishment is not the answer. It doesn't work and it sends out the wrong message to the child and to the wider school community that problems can be solved through violence. "Politicians should be looking at the wider social problems that cause disruptive behaviour in schools rather than going for quick solutions that don't work. There are now children whose parents have never worked and the whole of our social fabric has been damaged."

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