A TEACHING union is calling on headteachers to permanently exclude pupils whose behaviour is so bad they need restraining.

In the North-East, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) receives two or three calls every week from teachers who are dealing with seriously disruptive children.

The union said the physical restraint of pupils should "not be considered a regular or routine" act. It said: "The use of physical restraint of pupils on a regular basis will place the teacher at both physical and professional risk."

If exclusion is ruled out by the headteacher, school governors or an appeal panel, then the NUT will use industrial action - up to and including strike action - to secure the exclusion of pupils where, in the words of the Department of Education and Employment (DFEE), "the retention of that pupil would disrupt education or threaten the welfare of pupils and staff."

Advice has been provided by the DFEE on the use of restraint, but unions are concerned that such last resorts could leave them open to charges of abuse.

Martin Fisher, NUT regional officer for the North-East, said: "The problem is that sometimes when a teacher has had to intervene, parents then contact the school or the police to complain their child has been assaulted."

Possible suspension and stressful lengthy criminal and internal investigations can result, he added, at a huge cost.