A Bradford mum whose asthmatic son fell ill after not getting access to an inhaler is backing a charity’s campaign to cut red tape at schools.

Shakeela Riaz said her son, Salis, seven, had an asthma attack at school, after which he was able to use his inhaler to help with his breathing.

She said the following day he was given a form by a teacher and was told until it was signed by a parent he could not use the device.

That day, Mrs Riaz said, her son became ill but did not ask his teachers for the inhaler because he thought he was not allowed to use it.

She said when she picked him up from school he was “fading away”.

She took Salis to a doctor who gave him steroids and antibiotics, and when he was still ill the next day she took him to hospital where he was placed on a nebuliser for five hours, she said.

Since the incident the school, which Mrs Riaz did not want to identify, has made sure staff are trained in how to recognise the symptoms of asthma.

According to an Asthma UK poll, almost two thirds of children surveyed, aged five to 18, had suffered an asthma attack at school.

But, according to regulations, schools are not allowed to have an asthma inhaler in their first aid kit.

Mrs Riaz said: “The main issue is schools need a blue inhaler as an emergency measure. What would they do if the child’s inhaler ran out, and they were gasping for air? They need to be fully trained.”

Emily Humphreys, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma UK said: “These medicines are very safe but going without them can be very dangerous, so it is crucial that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency changes the rules and allows schools to keep a spare inhaler as a last resort.

“The majority of children know to find a teacher if they don’t have their own inhaler when having an asthma attack at school, but the reality is that there is very little that staff can legally do to help in this situation. This puts children at risk.”