Hundreds of parents have backed controversial plans to bring in random drugs testing for children at one of the county's biggest schools, the Gazette can reveal.
An astonishing 90 per cent of parents who took part in a ballot said "yes" to the groundbreaking proposals at Colne Community School, Brightlingsea.
The landslide vote paves the way for the secondary school to become the second in the UK to introduce dope tests for pupils some as young as 11.
Senior staff wrote to every parent at the 1,400-pupil school asking if they backed the revolutionary scheme.
Just 400 replied, but the school chiefs said it still gives them the green light to go ahead with the plans.
They hope the threat of tests using mouth swabs will prevent youngsters getting into drugs.
Assistant principal Mark Thomson told the Gazette: "It's not just the taking of drugs but the potency of drugs nowadays.
"It is really quite alarming what they can do to a small proportion of people that take them.
"It's changing kids' bodies and personalities if there is a risk, we should take steps to prevent that happening.
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Wednesday, June 22, 2005
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