A YOUNGSTER has been banned from going on end-of-term school trips - because of his David Beckham haircut.

Joshua Holmes, 11, has been told he cannot go on days out, take part in outdoor PE lessons or go to swimming lessons because of his mohawk haircut.

Harry Sharples, headmaster of St Gabriel's Primary School, Blackburn, today remained adamant the ban would remain even though the youngster only has a few more weeks remaining at the school.

The ban was slapped on Joshua, of East Lancashire Road, Blackburn, after he persuaded his parents to let him have the latest cut being sported by the England captain Beckham.

Out went the short back and sides in favour of just one strip of hair across the top of his head .

Avid Manchester United fan Joshua said today: "I thought it would be good to have this haircut and did not think it would cause any trouble."

Joshua's aunt Debbie Holmes said: "Joshua is spending the last few weeks at primary school banned from doing all the things he has earned the right to do all year.

"While his friends all go off to swimming lessons, on school trips and outside doing PE, he is stuck indoors, all because of his haircut.

"It is the haircut he wanted and I didn't think for a minute it would cause all this fuss.

"I am very angry about this because I don't think the school has a right to penalise someone over something like a haircut. It is the behaviour of pupils which matters, not how they look."

She added: "They have said he can join the fun when his hair grows back but by then he will have finished at that school for good to go to high school. "He is being stopped from enjoying time with some friends who he may not go to secondary school with."

Headteacher Mr Sharples explained the Beckham cut did not meet school standards.

He said: "Our code of appearance is common knowledge among parents and we will not stand for extreme hairstyles.

"It is a case of creating the right impression of the school to people outside it and allowing this pupil to wander around with this haircut would not be conducive to that.

"At other schools he would be suspended or isolated until his hair grew back.

"Here, we have just stopped him going out of school with us for swimming lessons, school trips and so on."

When Beckham unveiled his new brush-like look at an England Press conference barbers braced themselves for a rush of copycat cuts.

But while older teenagers have copied Old Trafford's number seven, Joshua is believed to be the first East Lancashire pupil to get into trouble for the look.

Several schools have warned pupils they faced disciplinary action if they changed their hairstyle to emulate their hero.

Both Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council - the area's two education authorities - said it was up to individual schools to make policy on matters such as haircuts.

Barber Charles Parsons, manager of The Town Barber, Park Road, Chorley, said more and more youngsters were asking for the cut.

He said: "We've had young lads come in saying 'can I have my hair cut like Beckham' including one who was only nine. Others have been older though."