A TEENAGER has been ordered to brush out his non-regulation braids after he turned up on the first day of school sporting an " extreme" haircut, reports Ruth Lythe.

Dallam School pupil Simon Hudson, 14, claims that he was effectively sent home and ordered to remove rows of plaits from his hair, which is naturally frizzy and had been combed into braids in order to control it.

His mum, Mandy Hudson, 43, of West View, Meathop, said that the Year Ten pupil was also ordered to remove an eyebrow bar on health and safety grounds.

Mrs Hudson said: "Simon's hair was tied into small plaits because he has Afro hair which is wild and out of control. The braids meant that his hair was neat and tidy. The school's argument was that nobody is allowed to wear braids in their hair, but I could have send him to school with a three feet high Afro that would stand out three miles away."

Simon, who is studying 12 GCSEs, is now back at school minus the eyebrow bar and with brushed out braids. However, the teenager has been ordered to visit the barber's by the weekend to trim his non- regulation tresses to keep them in "a neat and tidy condition."

Simon said: "I was not very happy when I was told that I could not wear my hair like that anymore. I came in with my mum to school for a meeting and one of the teachers said that I could take my braids out or I could go home. Now we have come to a compromise. I can wear my hair like this for a week and cut it."

Head teacher at the Milnthorpe school Steve Holdup denied that Simon had been sent home because of his hairstyle and he and his mother had left voluntarily. He added that although the school did not discriminate between boys and girls with long hair, "extreme fashion was contrary to school rules."

Mr Holdup said: "Mrs Hudson brought Simon to school with a holiday haircut' and I told him that it wasn't suitable. She then took him home and I thought she was going to brush them out and now it appears that it has been sorted out."