PARENTS, teachers and community workers united today to declare: ‘Ban the bands’.

There is mounting concern about the controversial multi-coloured bracelets worn by children which are linked to sex acts.

The wristbands, known as jelly bracelets or gummies, come in seven different colours and are said to each represent a separate sexual act the wearer is willing to perform.

Concerns come after MP Mary Creagh said the wristbands should not be sold to under 16s – especially at a time when teenage pregnancy rates in Weymouth and Portland are the highest in the county for the last 10 years.

Headteacher of the Royal Manor School on Portland Paul Green stepped in to ban the bracelets after being informed of the meaning behind them.

He said: “The staff and teachers were aware that the pupils had started wearing them on their wrists but it wasn’t until some of the kids explained to a teacher what they meant that we moved to ban the coloured bands.

“I think it was important to give out a clear message at pupils are here for learning and no other purpose.”

He added that the school had not received any complaints from parents and that children would simply be told to take the bracelets off if found wearing them on the school grounds.

Both Wey Valley School in Weymouth and the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester have a no-jewellery policy already and both state that they have not noticed a problem with the coloured bands.

Weymouth youth worker Tom Lane who is based at Steps said: “Some young people do let others know about their level of sexual ability by giving off signals in different ways and this appears to be one of them.

“With the high rates of teenage pregnancies I would say these bands do not make a positive contribution to teenagers’ lifestyles.”

Mr Lane added: “Young people are given subtle messages by commercial influences through advertising to do adult things – then we’re surprised when they do them.

“This commercialisation of young people does worry me.”

A Weymouth teacher, who wished not to be named, slammed parents for buying the bands for their children and said: “The connotation behind these bands is awful.

“I went mad when I saw the pupils – some as young as year seven – wearing the bands and told them to rip them off and put them in the bin. It doesn’t matter if they understand what they mean or not.

“I find it very odd that parents would knowingly allow their children to wear these bands and even worse that they are the ones buying them for their children.”

Kelly Amor, from Relate in Dorchester, said the brace-lets were becoming more common.

She said: “We know there have been some issues surrounding the bands and that they are becoming more widespread. There are concerns from a young person’s point of view and also concerns for the parents and how dealing with issues like this can impact their relationships.”

But mum Helen Kellaway, who has a 13-year-old teenage daughter at the Thomas Hardye School, said that the bands may be a phase.

She said: “The thing is kids will be kids and they will always go through phases like this.

“I remember stuff like this at school and it was pretty harmless really and just because you were wearing it didn’t mean anything – it was more just fashion.”

The bracelets are on sale at a number of high street shops including Claire’s in Weymouth.

“Gummies are part of our jewellery assortment globally, and have been sold at Claire's for more than 10 years as part of a broader range of merchandise,” a spokesman for Claire’s said.

New Look said it used to sell what it referred to as ‘friendship’ bracelets but has no plans to buy any more.