The parents of the Olympic diver Tom Daley have taken him out of school after he complained of being bullied.

The 14-year-old athlete, who found himself in the public eye while representing Britain at the Beijing Olympics last year, said that he had been attacked by pupils in the playground of his school in Devon.

His parents said that the bullying began when he started Year 10 in September, after returning from China. The situation became untenable last week when an older boy allegedly cornered Tom and said: “How much are those legs worth? We’re going to break your legs.”

His father, Rob Daley, 38, said that he kept his son at home this week after staff at the Eggbuckland Community College in Plymouth refused to take action, despite complaints being lodged. Mr Daley said he was concerned that the bullying could affect his son’s performance in a competition in Florida next month. He said that if the bullying did not stop he would move Tom to a new school.

“The bullying is severe,” he said. “He has been tackled to the floor walking through the school field and in class they throw pens and pencils at him. Some have even threatened to break his legs. That was the last straw. The school has had plenty of opportunities to sort it out but it hasn’t been done. It’s gone way beyond mickey-taking; he has the whole school on his back and he knows that if he retaliates he will be all over the papers. It’s just jealousy — it can’t be anything else. I’ve been to see Tom’s head of year and also the principal, because Tom has been so upset.”

From The Times UK

Tags: bully, bullying, school violence, tom daley