A NORTH-EAST school has banned sweets from the playground after 19 pupils were injured by a new kind of mint.

The youngsters needed medical treatment after gooey green liquid from Polo Liquid Orbs was squirted in their eyes.

The incidents at Southmoor School, in Sunderland, came days after another pupil was injured when a sweet from a candy necklace was fired into his face.

Staff say they are appalled by the incidents and have called for shops to ban the sale of the sweets.

Southmoor pupils Georgia Thompson and Lauren Holmes, both 15, raised the alarm about the misuse of Polo Liquid Orbs.

They are wax-like balls which are easily popped and the filling squeezed out.

Polo Liquid Orbs are made by Nestle Rowntree. A spokeswoman said: "We are very concerned to hear of the unfortunate misuse of one of our products."

The school is also concerned that a 50p whopper gobstopper, sold at Wilkinsons in Sunderland and more than double the weight of a cricket ball, could cause serious injury if it hits someone.

Staff now fear the gobstoppers will be used as missiles and have asked Wilkinsons to stop selling them

Wilkinsons has rejected calls to remove the sweets from sale.