Hartlepool dad pulls kids from school after he is banned in seagull row

Steve Young, 35, says he has been barred from the grounds of Stranton Primary School, Hartlepool, after complaining about being attacked by a seagull nesting on the school field.

The school has strongly denied its action is over the story which appeared first in the Hartlepool Mail last Friday and was followed up by the national media.

It says it is because the dad swore and his behaviour was threatening towards other parents and staff.

Mr Young has now removed sons Cobie Dent, five, and Kyle Dent, 10, from school after the decision as he says he can no longer hand them over or collect them from staff.

He claims Stranton Primary head Neil Nottingham banned him after a meeting this morning for talking to the media about the seagull attack.

Mr Young, of Wansbeck Gardens, Hartlepool, said: “He said, because I went to the papers instead of going to him first, he was banning me from the school.

“I said to the headteacher ‘if I can’t take my kids to school then I don’t want them coming here anymore.”

He added: “I’ve now pulled them out of classes until we find them a new school.

“I think it is ridiculous that they said I would have to drop a five-year-old off at the school gate and make him walk all the way round to his classroom on his own.”

Mr Young admitted things got “heated” when he went to the school about the seagull issue adding: “They obviously care more about the seagull infestation than my kids’ safety, it’s nuts.”

He suffered cuts to his head after he was swooped upon by a gull protecting its young last week.

A spokesman for the school said: “We can confirm that Mr Young is not allowed on the school premises after using foul language and threatening behaviour towards other parents and staff. We can categorically confirm that his ban is in no way connected to him contacting the press.

“Mr Young has been banned on a number of previous occasions for similar unacceptable behaviour which the school will simply not tolerate.”