SCHOOL WILL NOT PUNISH STRAW'S SON

THE HEADMASTER at William Straw's school says he has no plans to suspend
or discipline the teenager because he has been punished enough by media
attention.

Philip Barnard, head of Pimlico school, said the 17-year-old had been under
pressure from friends to take drugs to fit in and had probably made a
simple mistake.

The news will be greeted with relief by Jack Straw, the home secretary, who
spoke yesterday of his anguish and his concern that his son may acquire a
criminal record.

Barnard said that although not condoning drug-taking, he regarded the
alleged cannabis selling as not very serious. "I really don't think it is
the end of the world," he said. "It isn't fair to penalise him. I have
sympathy with his family and with him. There may be people who disagree,
and I may be being a bit liberal . . . The difficulty for me is that Jack
Straw represents: one, a father; two, the chairman of governors; and,
three, the home secretary. I will try to talk to him as much as possible
as a father."

Barnard said further action against William could disrupt his moc A-levels,
which begin this week. He would discuss with William's parents whether to
take the teenager out of school during his exams to avoid further
pressure.

Jack Straw repeated yesterday that he was implacably opposed to the
decriminalisation of cannabis, and said his son would have to face the
legal consequences of his actions.

It was inevitable for a parent in his situation to try to "rewind the
clock" and wish the incident had not happened.

Straw admitted that "quite a lot" of pupils used cannabis at the school,
where he was re-elected chairman of governors last month.

William has been one of the brightest stars at the 1,300-pupil London
comprehensive. He took his mathematics A-level a year early and is to take
physics, politics and religious studies this summer.

Fellow pupils say he used to be regarded as a "swot" but changed after
entering the sixth form. One said he had recently abandoned his academic
image. "He used to be pompous and nerdish," said another. "In the upper
sixth he has become much more trendy and goes to parties. There is no
stigma about drugs."

A third said: "Will doesn't deal. He would never buy drugs to sell them on.
In this case he was just doing some girls a favour. He fancies himself as a
bit of a ladies' man."

Barnard said William had been subjected to extraordinary peer pressure to
be "hip and part of the group". He endured extra pressure because of his
father's job. "It is why William has got dragged into this. It goes from
skateboards to clothes to drugs, across class barriers. There was a
particular pressure on him because his father is home secretary."

The Crown Prosecution Service decision on whether to charge William is
expected next week. Police are understood to have recommended no action or
a caution.