Head teachers across Bradford are banning mobile phones from schools amid fears youngsters could use them to order drugs.

Teachers and police fear the current fad for mobiles could have sinister implications as dealers make their phone numbers available to potential buyers.

"It is a great concern that students could use them to organise drugs being dropped off," said Bingley Grammar School head teacher John Patterson.

"It is one of the areas we are conscious we have to keep an eye on and ensure drugs do not come into school.

"We tell parents this, that we recognise there are very good reasons why parents would want their children to have a mobile phone, but there are even better reasons why they shouldn't have one in school."

And Detective Chief Inspector Phil Sedgwick, of Bradford Police, said mobile phones were commonly used by drug dealers as a means to arrange delivery.

"For dealers, mobile phones are a good way to communicate because they are secure and discrete.

"If the school child knew who the dealer was and wanted a delivery, they could contact the dealer and arrange for the drugs to be brought to school.

"It's perfectly reasonable that a school will be trying to prevent offences like this taking place in schools."

Now most secondary schools in Bradford are telling students not to bring mobile phones on to the premises.

However, the phones are currently a teenager's trendiest fashion accessory. Thousands were bought by parents in the run-up to Christmas to ensure children can contact them in an emergency.

But most schools across the district are banning them. As well as the fears over drugs, they believe they are easily stolen and expensive to replace. They are also very disruptive if they ring in lessons.

Tony Thorne, head teacher at Hanson School - the biggest secondary in the district - said the Sutton Avenue school wanted to ensure pupils had no chance to contact dealers.

"They could be easily be used for tipping off people about drugs."

Wyke Manor School also bans mobile phones from the premises.

Headteacher John Fryett said the bottom line is there is no need for them in schools.

"Part of the reason that we don't allow them is that it would give members of the public access to children when they are in school.

"If a child is at home their parents will have some control over who they are calling, but with a mobile, young people can call who they like," he said.

At Queensbury Upper, Eccleshill Upper and Buttershaw Upper, mobile phones are also banned from school and confiscated if found on a pupil.

Carlton Bolling College head teacher Simon Willis said schools must accept that mobiles are here to stay.

Students are told to be discrete and turn their phones off during school hours, but are not prevented from using them at lunch breaks.

"If we hear one go off in class or in the corridor, it is confiscated. But if someone is using one quietly in the corner of the playground, we leave them to it.

"Mobile phones are status symbols with a capital 'S' and not only have the kids got to have a phone, it's got to be a top of the range one and they have to show it off.

"I don't think it will be too long before they all have one."

Belle Vue Boys School has a similar policy where mobiles must be switched off during school hours.

Individual schools make their own arrangements over whether mobile phones are banned from the premises.

Dennis Williams, Assistant Director of Education at Bradford Council said the authority takes matters involving drugs very seriously.

"We take seriously any worries that children are involved in drugs in any way and the local education authority works consistently with schools and other agencies, such as the health authority, to ensure the necessary support and advice is available."

School evacuated after hoax mobile call

Schoolboys who caused the evacuation of their school after making a hoax bomb call on a mobile phone were awaiting disciplinary action today.

St Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford, was evacuated at 10.45am yesterday after the two 14-year-olds phoned a bomb warning to the school office during break-time.

The pair were arrested and cautioned by police after other pupils told officers who made the bogus call.

Headteacher Dr James Hagerty said: "It was a crass waste of police time and a crass waste of teaching time. It was a classic example of the misuse of mobile phones.

"More than 900 boys had to stand outside for half-an-hour."

Dr Hagerty said the caller had simply told office staff there was a bomb planted on the premises. Police were called and the fire bell immediately sounded.

Pupils were unaware of what had happened until police arrived.

Mobile phones are banned at the all-boys school because of potential for disruption to lessons.

A subsequent search of pupils made yesterday unearthed 46 phones which were confiscated by staff.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Sedgewick, of Toller Lane police division, said: "Making bomb threats is an arrestable offence and it can result in a five-year prison sentence."

T&A Opinion

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.