An Irvine mum says Lawthorn Primary is refusing to punish bullies who have beaten her son “black and blue”.

The mum, who has asked to remain anonymous to protect the identity of her son, says the 11-year-old has had his hands held behind his back by one boy whilst another punched him in the stomach and has been pushed to the ground and kicked in the head.

The mother says the boy has been targeted for 18 months and despite numerous complaints, nothing is being done to stop it.

She said: “This has been going on, on and off, for 18 months with the same children.

“The school’s hands seem to be tied. It is all about political correctness and when an incident of bullying occurs they deal with it by using ‘restorative questioning’ which means they sit them down and ask how they think their behaviour has made the other person feel. Then they are told to be nice, shake hands and make friends. I am sorry but that is just not good enough. Kids need to know there are consequences to their behaviour.

“My son has been beaten black and blue. In one attack one boy held his hands behind his back whilst the other boy punched him in the stomach. That is unacceptable. They have to be properly punished for that.”

The desperate mum says she knows other parents have had similar problems and says she fears for the mental health of those being bullied at the school.

She said: “I know this is not just something that has happened to my son. I would say 50 per cent of the parents I have spoken to have complained about violence at the school.

“Just this week my son was pulled to the ground and kicked in the head. It’s rife and the school’s policies stink.

“They say they are not allowed to punish the bullies in cas e they feel isolated, but what about the children who are being hurt? I worry about the effect it’s having on my son’s mental health.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We understand that the issue of bullying is very emotive and would like to reassure all our parents/carers that we take it extremely seriously.

“North Ayrshire Council respects, supports and recognises the national approach to anti bullying as set out in the Respect for All guidance. This year we worked with pupils, parents and staff to create our new anti-bullying policy, “Bullying: It’s Never Acceptable”.

“Whenever there is an allegation of bullying behaviour, our schools respond to each case individually and try and use restorative approaches whenever possible. Research has proved this is far more effective than traditional methods.

“We would not comment on individual cases. However, we would urge any parent/carer to speak with the school if they have concerns.”