Teachers alleged to have used a "diabolical" Victorian finger clamp to punish an eight-year-old child will not face prosecution.

Police child protection officers were called in after the boy was left in his headmaster's office with his fingers jammed in wooden blocks.

The "wooden finger stool" was on loan to the school from the education authority's historical archive to display the cruel techniques employed by the Victorians to stop children fidgeting.

But the blocks were brought into use to detain the boy - who had snapped the point off a pencil.

His step-father claimed the boy was detained in the head's office during morning, lunch and afternoon break - with his hands clamped behind his back like a prisoner.

Outraged Scott Meikle, 36, who did not want to name his step-son, marched into the education authority's offices and demanded and explanation.

He then called in the police.

He said: "The blocks had been brought into school to help with history projects but at the time they were used on our son he was in a maths lesson.

"These things were taken into the school to teach the children about the bizarre punishments handed out in Victorian times.

"We look back on those days and pity the children who had to suffer such things.

"To actually use those methods on a child in 2003 and is absolutely diabolical."

Durham Police took the boy and his seven-year-old sister, who witnessed the incident, to interview suites.

The children were questioned separately and gave identical accounts of the incident at Sherburn Hill Primary School, Co Durham, on September 17.

Mr Meikle, of Haswell Plough, Co Durham, said he did not at first believe what his son said had happened. It was only when the boy's younger sister told exactly the same story that he realised they were serious.

"He accidentally broke the point off a pencil and went for another one, which was stuck together with blu-tack," Mr Meikle said.

"It split in half and one of the other children told the class teacher what had happened.

"She called our son from his seat and put the wooden blocks on his fingers.

"Each block has four holes, one for each finger, and they are fastened together by a ribbon.

"His hands were put in the blocks and they were fastened behind his back in the classroom. "He was then marched to the headmaster's office to speak to him about it.

"My boy was left in the office through morning break and released for lessons.

"He then had to go back after he had eaten his dinner and sat in the finger blocks in the office throughout the lunch break.

"He was released for afternoon lessons but had to go back to the head's office and into the finger blocks for afternoon break.

"He was very upset by it, not just because he couldn't go out to play but also because it was very uncomfortable."

Mr Meikle, originally from Bowness, Scotland, also reported the matter to education officials at County Hall, Durham.

And he confronted the head teacher, David Thurlwell, about what happened and demanded to see the finger stool. The device consists of two rectangular wooden blocks, each about three inches tall.

They have four holes in each block, to accommodate all the fingers on each hand. The blocks are then fastened with a ribbon that links the blocks of the finger stool together.

The wooden blocks were an artifact from Durham County Council Education Authority's historical archive, which were used to stop Victorian schoolchildren fidgeting in class.

They were on loan to Sherburn Hill Primary School and their use was being demonstrated to pupils to give them "living history" experience of what Victorian schoolchildren may have encountered.

But following a public protection investigation which involved social services, the police have dropped the matter.

Mr Meikle said: "The crown prosecution service is not proceeding any further with the allegations which were made on behalf of our son.

"Although we are disappointed with this outcome we are hopeful that some good will come of it.

"In our recent experiences, we have realised that children are not protected as they should be.

"It is every parent's duty to speak up for their child, and every child has the right to be hear without fear or intimidation, and regardless of age.

"Age or lack of it does not make one a liar."

Mr Meikle, who receives incapacity benefit, thanked the friends and family who had had supported his family throughout, and said he was confident of their support in the future.

Durham Police spokesman George Oliver confirmed the inquiry into the allegations would be taken no further.

The matter was now closed, he said.

On September 19, a public protection investigation which involved specialists from the police and social services was launched to probe the allegation.

Mr Oliver said: ''The staff are alleged to have used a Victorian museum piece to punish a child.

"As a result of the inquiry, we submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.

"The C.P.S. lawyers studied the file and are now advising no further action should be taken. "As far as the police are concerned, the matter is closed."

David Thurlwell, the headteacher at Sherburn Hill Primary, which has 85 children aged 4 to 11 from the neighbouring villages of Sherburn Hill and Shadforth, near Durham City, was unavailable for comment.