School blows final whistle on using full-size footballs

A TOP private school has banned pupils from playing with full-size footballs on health and safety grounds.

Edinburgh Academy, which has produced nine Victoria Cross winners in its 186-year history, insists today's pupils use tennis balls or small, soft balls for playground kickabouts.

The school fears pupils could get hurt if they play with full-size balls.

Deborah Meiklejohn, senior deputy rector at Edinburgh Academy, admitted that "as far as we know there have been no injuries".

But she added: "There was a feeling that the children could cause themselves injury if they used a ball which was inappropriate."

She said pupils in the senior school, aged 12 to 18, were already required to use tennis balls for their kickabouts.

Now children in the junior school, aged five to 11, have been hit by new restrictions.

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "It's health and safety gone mad.