Parents defiant over haircut ban

Durrell Berry's parents said he would continue with his shaved style

The parents of a teenager are fighting a school over its rules on haircuts.

Durrell Berry, 15, was one of several boys sent home from St Benedict School in Derby because teachers said their hair was too short.

Durrell has his hair shaved very short with number one blades every few weeks, a common style for black teenagers.

The school said the rule was introduced in 1986 to stop white pupils getting involved in skinhead culture, but the policy would change from September.

'Human rights'

Durell said: "They sent me home because they said my hair's too short and it represents a hooligan look. If I had patterns in my hair or anything like that then I could understand where they were coming from."

He added: "I just feel like it's my human right really to have my hair at a grade one if I want to."

His mother and father, Sandy and Dennis, said whatever happened their son would continue to go to school with the same shaved hairstyle.

"As parents, we're trying our best to get our children educated, keep them in school and keep them on the straight and narrow.

"And then you have a school who's sending them home," Mrs Berry said.

Although nobody from the school agreed to be interviewed, a spokeswoman said the rules on hair styles were to change - pupils will be allowed to have grade two haircuts from September onwards.