A SCHOOLBOY was taken to hospital with crush injuries following a prank on a bridge.

The incident happened at about 10am on Tuesday at the Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, when pupils were crossing the bridge over Brompton Road, between the the two school sites.

Michael Stanley, the deputy headteacher, said some pupils decided to walk over the bridge very slowly to try to hold others up.

Their actions led to a crush and a year seven boy tripped and was taken to the town's Friarage Hospital. He was kept in overnight as a precaution and released yesterday.

Mr Stanley said: "It was a silly prank and a crush formed as a result of it.

"If a large number are coming up behind, it can be more than a silly annoyance and all it takes is for someone to trip in that situation and it can be very dangerous.

"The lad tripped so there was a toppling over domino effect.

"Fortunately, there were no really serious consequences."

He said staff supervised the bridge very carefully.

Mr Stanley said: "We always review all procedures and double our efforts to make sure these things do not happen again."