A DISTRAUGHT mother says school bullies are driving her 14-year-old son to suicide.

Lidia Weir says her son, Leslie, has been assaulted and harassed by a gang of teens at Alva Academy for months.

As a result he has been home schooled since January because he is afraid to leave the house.

She says the school is refusing to act against the bullies even though her son has contemplated suicide.

Lidia said, “I’ve got to take him to the doctors as he’s got thoughts in his head that he wants to kill himself. I’m not going to be one of those mothers who is burying her son because of bullying.” Despite being absent from school, Leslie is still the subject of abuse.

The bullies have taken their school yard torment to the family home in Tillicoultry where, Lidia claims, they have pounded on her front door and made threatening phone calls. It has led the despairing mother-of-two to call in the police.

She says the school is unwilling to exclude the teen bullies as it says their education is more important.

Speaking from her home on Monday, she said, “They are trying to make Leslie go back to school on Wednesday (today) but I’ve told them I’m not allowing him back until they sort it out.” Leslie had previously been the victim of bullying when he was in first year at secondary school, however Lidia didn’t know it had restarted until the New Year. She received a call from a friend to say Leslie had been spotted crying on a bench in the town during school hours.

Unbeknown to Lidia, her son had been pretending to go to school but skipping classes to avoid the bullies.

She said, “It’s been going on since he was in first year. At that time I was called up to the school and had a meeting with them. It stopped for a while but started again last year.

“The last time he was bullied, the school just had words with the boys, but sometimes words are not enough. All I’m wanting is my son to be happy and be able to turn up at school and not be scared. The school say they can’t put the boys out as they have a right to an education too, but that’s not the point, it means my son can’t go back to school. What about his education?” A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed that officers had been contacted about threats made to the family.

Clackmannanshire Council declined to comment and instead issued a general statement through Education Convener Ellen Forson.

She said, “The Education Service takes its responsibility towards every child and young person in Clackmannanshire very seriously. All allegations that a pupil has experienced bullying at school are responded to immediately and fully investigated. The service will continue to work with families to ensure that all concerns are dealt with effectively.”