TOUGH new powers to discipline badly behaved pupils have had a mixed reception from education figures in the county.

The new powers, introduced by the Government, are designed to fight disruptive, bullying or offensive behaviour.

They give teachers a right to restrain, detain and remove unruly pupils, confiscate mobile phones that are being used in a malicious or disruptive way and punish pupils for poor behaviour not just in school, but also on the way to and from school.

The new laws come in the wake of national figures which showed 31 per cent of permanent exclusions and 27 per cent of fixed period exclusions were due to persistent disruptive behaviour.

But Pershore High School headteacher Clive Corbett said he was baffled by how much effect the rules would have.

"I'm a bit surprised because you would think most good schools do all those things already. It's a bit of a sad state of affairs nationally," he said.

"Youngsters at our school know if they come to our school with inappropriate items then they will be taken off them, and usually returned only to parents.

"If pupils are disruptive in Pershore, they know what's going to happen to them. I do not really see the need for any greater powers than we already have."

But Paul Crosher, the Worcestershire Federation Secretary of teachers union NASUWT said the new provisions removed any doubts that teachers and heads had the right to discipline pupils.

He echoed comments from the union's general secretary Chris Keates, who said: "The legislation and regulations send a powerful message to those pupils and parents inclined to challenge the authority of schools to issue disciplinary sanctions.

"Schools can now be confident of their right to challenge youngsters who bully others on the journey to and from school, behave inappropriately on public transport or use technology in the comfort of their own home to abuse staff."

David Maciejewski, spokesman for First buses which carries out many of the county's school runs, welcomed the measures.

"We do already work very closely with the schools we serve and that includes every element of their behaviour from when they board the bus and leave at school and the way they queue and board the bus," he said.

"Anything that goes to assist the teachers with that and provide us and our customers with a safe and trouble-free journey is welcomed."

NEW POWERS INCLUDE:* Legal power to physically restrain and remove unruly pupils.* Legal power to hold pupils in weeknight and Saturday detention.* Legal power to confiscate personal items from pupils if they are being used inappropriately and maliciously.* Legal power to punish pupils for poor behaviour not just in school but on the way to and from school.* Statutory right for teachers to use physical force to restrain or control aggressive or threatening pupils.