A school girl has been excluded and risks being expelled after handing in a knife she says she had confiscated from a friend.

Demi Mountford, 12, gave the the multi-tool containing the blade to her science teacher at The Co-operative Academy Manchester, after finding it in her blazer pocket.

The school, in Blackley said it was "never acceptable or safe" to hand a knife in, and that doing so results in permanent exclusion, reports Manchester Evening News.

But Demi claims she had confiscated it from a school friend at a park the evening before for his own protection.

The Year 8 pupil said she had put it in her blazer pocket and then went to school as normal the following day – unwittingly still carrying the blade.

Demi said she informed her teacher immediately after realising she had it, who then asked her to go to the head of year.

After writing out a statement and being praised, she was later pulled out of her lesson by five teachers and told she was being excluded for having a knife.

The 12-year-old's mum, Lisa McNab, said her daughter has been unfairly dismissed when she was only trying to help her friend.

"I don't understand why Demi has been punished for doing the right thing," she said.

"Her science teacher and the head of year said that when she first handed it in.

"Her friend said he was carrying this multi-tool with a knife because he'd been beaten up by three older lads.

"When he told her that she told him it was stupid to carry knives, and that people would go after him with a weapon if they knew."

Lisa continued: "To me she's been unfairly punished for doing the right thing. She could have prevented something serious from happening to someone else.

"She explained why she had it and told the teacher straight away."

Demi was given work to do at home on Friday until the school's head teacher, Steve Brice, had met with school governors, who then emailed Lisa saying he intended to permanently exclude her daughter yesterday.

Lisa, a mum-of-four, believes that they haven't been given a fair hearing by the school.

"I've even spoken the head and he said I was right in everything I'd said," she added.

"Demi's been crying today because she's not in school."

Lisa is now in contact with other schools to find her daughter a place.

A spokesperson for The Co-operative Academy Manchester said: "The Academy's first priority is the safety and wellbeing of the whole school community – all students and staff.

"It is never acceptable or safe for a student to bring a knife into our academy as this compromises the safety of everyone else.

"All students are clear that bringing a knife into the academy results in permanent exclusion, and are reminded of it at the start of every academic year.

"Any decisions to permanently exclude a student are not taken lightly, and are done in accordance with correct policy and procedure.”

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