A RUNCORN school has defended its decision to ban children wearing charity badges on their blazers.

A group of around 70 pupils who defied the rule today by wearing cancer ribbons have been warned they must remove them.

The school says children can pin any charity badges on their bags but not on their blazers.

Head of school Barry Carney has denied that any pupils have been penalised today because of their defiant behaviour.

He said: “Nobody has been put in isolation or excluded today.

“We have taken some students out of some lessons to speak to them.

“A small number of students were wearing an array of badges representing different charities.

“Each year we have a nominated charity. This year it is the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“If students want to show support for a greater variety of charities, they must go through the appropriate channels.

He said staff had spoken to parents to explain the school’s policy and won their support.

Mr Carney added: “We want our students to look business like and take pride in their uniform.

“I have appealed to them to observe school rules.

“Students are excluded if they are defiant.”

Pupil Kayleigh Robinson, aged 14, who lost her aunt to cancer a few weeks ago, is among students who had been temporarily excluded.

She was stopped at the school gate and told to remove the yellow flower she had worn for a year.

Kayleigh said: “It makes me feel rather upset. I just wore it to remember my aunt.”

Her mum, Deborah, aged 33, said: “It is just a small, little yellow flower.

“It has been there for a year and is the only badge she wears.”