A TEAM of specialist welfare staff have been appointed at a Burnley high school after complaints of bullying.

The news at Hameldon Community College comes after it was revealed a pupil has been removed from the school because her parents claimed she was repeatedly and severely bullied.

Andrea and Shaun Taylor, of Arkwright Street, Ightenhill, Burnley, said their daughter Leanna, 12, was removed from lessons three weeks before Christmas as they felt staff could not protect her. She now goes to Unity College, where her parents said she was much happier.

Hameldon headteacher Gill Broome said she could not comment on individual cases, but was disappointed that Leanna had left the school.

And she said that the school treated bullying very seriously and had employed another two well-being co-ordinators - on top of three it already had - to listen to any concerns children had, and offer help and advice.

She added: "We have an anti-bullying policy and work hard with parents and students to solve any problems that may arise.

"If somebody is caught bullying that could lead to a variety of things such as a period of isolation, a fixed period of exclusion and contacting parents. When the person returns to school we would work with them to make sure the problems were resolved."

Mr and Mrs Taylor, who are also foster parents, claimed other parents had transferred their children to Unity College after bullying.

They said their daughter had been targeted with racist comments and death threats.

Mrs Taylor, 30, said: "She said she was being bullied by boys.

"When she retaliated and hit one of them she got into trouble.

"We went in again and they said they could not guarantee her safety so we withdrew her from school."