POLICE were called to a secondary school after students angry about strict new rules limiting toilet breaks launched a mass protest.

About 40 pupils took part in the action at Bedale High School on Friday morning with officers from North Yorkshire Police called in when a fire alarm was set off.

It is understood pupils were protesting against new rules brought in which restrict toilet use to two slots between 11.05am and 11.25am, and 12.25pm and 12.45pm, as part of an attempt to raise standards following a poor Ofsted report.

The school was criticised after an inspection in December, and said it needed to improve its effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare and outcomes for pupils.

In a statement issued this afternoon, the school defended the new policy, and said students could still make requests for access to the toilets at other times.

During the incident, some students, mainly girls, are believed to have barricaded themselves in the toilets, while others were protesting outside.

One Year 11 student, who did not wish to be named, then activated the fire alarm in an attempt to support the protest.

He, along with around 40 others, are believed to have been excluded temporarily from the school.

The teenager told The Northern Echo: “In the last couple of days this has been building because the school has stopped us from using the toilet apart from at morning break and the first half of lunch.

“A large group of girls decided to stage a protest by missing their first lesson and blocking themselves in the toilet.

“They later went out to the field, and others wanted to join but were stopped by teachers, so I set off the fire alarm to get everyone outside.”

The boy’s mother, who also wished to remain anonymous, said although she did not condone her son’s actions in setting off the fire alarm, she was unhappy with the way students were being treated.

She said: “To be told they can’t go to the toilet apart from two very short periods in the day is disgusting.

“It will lead to pupils getting dehydrated because they won’t want to drink anything throughout the day – surely they should be allowed to go in between lessons, and throughout the lunch break.”

North Yorkshire Police confirmed they attended the incident, with a spokesman saying: “North Yorkshire Police was alerted to a protest involving students at Bedale High School.

“PCSOs attended the school grounds and, after making enquiries, advised staff that this was not a police matter.”

Some parents took to social media to brand the school's new toilet rules 'undignified' and a breach of the pupils' rights.

One parent posted on Facebook to say that she had complained about the rule, saying that it was 'totally ridiculous' to stop pupils from going to the toilet after lunchtime.

A statement issued on behalf of the school said: "Bedale High School has recently introduced a new behavioural code as part of an action plan to improve teaching and learning in the school.

"As part of this the school has reminded students that toilets are freely accessible during specific periods at lunchtime and break time but that students who need the toilet during lessons, or need access for medical reasons, will be given access on request.

"Toilets are therefore accessible at all times."