A NEWPORT school which suspended a pupil broke the law, according to the boy's outraged mother.

Bettws High sent Kieran Havard home for fighting but it failed to issue his mother, Laura, with a letter explaining why for more than a week.

The law states one should be sent "without delay" and Assembly guidelines recommend "within one school day".

But head teacher Bob Meier blamed "extenuating circumstances" as to why a letter was not sent immediately.

Mrs Havard, 37, of Mill Heath, Bettws, said: "I don't know what the extenuating circumstances are. I don't even know what he's on about." On Wednesday, May 19, Kieran, 14, was caught fighting with another pupil.

Mrs Havard said: "He told me the other boy was making fun of the special needs children."

Kieran ran out of school and arrived home later that day.

Mrs Havard was telephoned by the school on Friday. "They told me to keep him home because of the fight," she said.

"They said he would probably be excluded for either ten or 15 days." But no letter confirming this has been received.

Mrs Havard said she made several attempts to contact the school and eventually had to visit the school at 8.30am on Monday, to be told to expect a phone call.

"No phone call came," she claimed.

"That's when I rang the head of governors."

Mrs Havard was advised by chairman Bill Langsford, but he declined to make a comment to the Argus.

Mr Meier denied a breakdown in communication with Mrs Havard.

"I just do not accept that," he said. "My head of school has had constant communication with Mrs Havard."

He refused to discuss the circumstances of the boy's suspension.

"I'm not going to comment on the incident, it's between the school, the child and parent. There are extenuating circumstances in this particular case because of the nature of the circumstances involving the boy."

Principal education welfare officer Jackie Burrows, who has been helping the family, said: "We're fully supportive of the parent."