A SCHOOL at the centre of a bullying scandal is recruiting security guards to patrol its corridors.

St Wilfrid's RC Comprehensive, in South Shields, South Tyneside, is advertising the posts to help supervise pupils during school hours.

The school hit the headlines after Tracy Murray withdrew her 11-year-old son, Dean, to teach him at home after he became the victim of bullies in the "happy slapping" craze.

Dean, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, was surrounded, slapped and punched by pupils while the attack was filmed on a mobile phone. He has been too frightened to return to school since the incident in February.

Now St Wilfrid's, one of South Tyneside's top-performing schools, wants security guards to work alongside supervisory staff from 10.45am to 3.15pm.

Chairman of governors Peter Arthurs said: "The existing staff deal competently with supervision of pupils, but it was felt it would be helpful to have additional support."