A POOLE couple who removed their child from school because he was being tormented by bullies have been given a conditional discharge by magistrates.

The case comes in the same week that a mother was jailed for 60 days because her children repeatedly played truant.

The parents admitted failing to send their son to school but said they did so because they feared for his personal safety.

The couple's son, who is now 13 years old, attended just 26 half-day sessions at his school out of a possible 118 between April and July last year.

David Baggs, prosecuting for the Borough of Poole, said some of these absences were due to ill-health but 62 half-day sessions were unauthorised absences.

But John Chediak, defending, said the couple believed it was the right thing to do because their son had been physically bullied over a prolonged period of time.

He said one attack left the boy with a knee injury and, on another occasion, the boy was turned upside down by his tormentor, sustaining a slight head injury in the process.

Mr Chediak said the bullying only came to light last June, when the boy finally confided in his parents.

But he said his parents believe the problems may have started six months earlier.

He said: "This is clearly a child who had been introverted and had kept this to himself for some time.

"He was particularly subdued, was pale in complexion and clearly psychologically affected by the bullying."

Poole magistrates heard how a meeting between the boy's father and the school's head teacher failed to resolve the problem and the boy's parents decided instead to educate him at home.

Mr Chediak said: "My clients feel that the head spoke to the accused, a version of events was given and that was basically accepted.

They were losing faith and that was what prompted them to consider removing their son from school."

The couple were ordered to pay £25 each in costs and were each given a six month conditional discharge.