A FAMILY have said they will sue a primary school after they claimed their son was force-fed by teachers until he vomited.
Antony and Michelle Read said they will take legal action after teachers at St Cedd's Church of England Primary School, in Bradwell-on-Sea, allegedly forced their son Oliver, five, to eat his lunch, causing him to be sick.
Head teacher Pauline Ward said the alleged incident, in 2008, involved teachers that were no longer at the school.
In a statement issued through Essex County Council, she said: "This is an issue that is alleged to have occurred at St Cedd's a number of years ago prior to my taking up the headship and involved staff members who are no longer associated with the school.
"While the parents are disappointed with how the issue was dealt with at the time I can categorically confirm that today, were such an action to occur, the allegation would be dealt with appropriately and the staff member would be subject to disciplinary action."
But the couple, who live in Bradwell-on-Sea, continue to want answers for their son, now 10, and point to a letter from the governors and previous head teachers to support their case.
The letter, dated June 7, 2011, and addressed to Mr and Mrs Read, said: "With regard to the reported incident where your son was forced to eat lunch until he vomited, the governors and head teacher acknowledge your distress and concern, and agree that such practice is entirely inappropriate.
"As a result of this, the incident would now be dealt with quite differently and the behaviour and actions as you report would not be tolerated."
Michelle said she first found out about the alleged incident when she picked Oliver up from the school on East End Road.
She said: "A teacher was walking toward me shouting my name, telling me they'd had problems with Oliver and that he'd refused to eat. Then she said 'they had made him eat'."
She claims he looked "pale and weak" and told her he had been sick.
She added: "When I got him home I was disgusted to find vomit stains on his clothes smelling strongly. He'd been left in those clothes all day."
Oliver has since been expelled from the school and spent two years at home before securing a place at a special school in Oxfordshire, called The Mulberry Bush.
"We just want answers for our son," said Antony. "He might have been a difficult little boy at times and we admit he has had some problems, but at the end of the day he was a five-year-old boy."
Michelle added: "I don't want Oliver to turn around when he's older and ask me why we didn't do anything when we knew this had gone on. I want him to know we tried everything."
