EXPELLED FOR DRUG DEALING AT SCHOOL

A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD pupil has been expelled from Rainworth's Joseph
Whitaker School after he was caught dealing drugs on the school campus
earlier this year.

Education chiefs confirmed yesterday that the youth -- who has not
been named -- has been thrown out of the Warsop Lane School after a
governors' meeting on Monday.

Chad exclusively revealed in March how the youth had been suspended
from lessons amid allegations he had been spotted selling Ecstasy
tablets to two 15-year-old girls.

In a statement issued this week, Nottinghamshire County Council told
Chad: "The governors met on Monday and agreed that the pupil who
supplied the drugs should have his permanent exclusion upheld.

"The other pupil involved in supplying through the above pupil was
re-admitted to school yesterday and the other two pupils are now back
at the school after serving a fixed term exclusion."

News of the incident sent shockwaves through the school community at
the time, with one parent telling Chad he was horrified it could
happen at Joseph Whitaker.

This week he welcomed the move to permanently exclude the pupil,
saying: "We all want to keep drugs out of schools and society in
general. I see the consequences of drug abuse all the time through my
work and expelling the pupil is the correct action to take."

But speaking shortly after the allegations emerged, Rainworth parish
councillors were quick to offer their support to the school and
headteacher John Loughton for his good work.

Said chairman Coun Allen Tift: "I am full of admiration for the way
he has turned that school around and this incident does not change
that. When you consider the number of pupils that pass through the
school this was a very isolated incident."