A NINE-year-old pupil was forced to go bare foot at school and in the yard, after she was made to take her black boots off because they had green laces.

Last Thursday, Isabella Barron went to school at Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy in Norton, Stockton, with black boots with green laces in (pictured).

Isabella's grandmother, Paula Brady, said: "They [the school] were not happy about her laces and phoned her mam to come to the school and change them, but she could not get up to the school so the teacher decided to remove her boots and left her all day with nothing on her feet. All over green laces, she is so upset that she doesn't want to go back to school.

"What has green laces got to do with her learning?"

The Northern Education Trust, which Frederick Nattrass Primary is a part of, have refuted that the incident occurred - stating that they believe it did not happen.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The safety and welfare of our students is paramount, and we would never, under any circumstances, tell a child to go barefoot due to wearing footwear that does not conform to our uniform policy."

Isabella's mam, Mickie Brown, was unable to come to the school as she has two babies at home and had an emergency doctors appointment.

Speaking on Friday, Ms Brady said: "The school didn't question it - why she had the laces on - they just told her she had to remove them.

"She was made to walk around in her bare feet all because she had green shoelaces. Her other shoelaces had broken. At 8am in the morning her mam had to put something in the shoes so she could go to school.

"I don't see why you should embarrass a nine-year-old. She's upset.

"We bought her some Dr Martens to wear to school - three days after she's being bullied - she didn't want to go to school this morning.

"It's not acceptable, what has a pair of laces got to do with her education when she goes to school and does her best?"