A MOTHER has called for a review of first aid procedures in schools after her son was injured playing football.

Richard Scott, of Bolton Close, in Newton Hall, Durham City, broke his arm during the lunch break at Framwellgate School.

The 14-year-old was taken to the school office where staff applied an ice pack to his arm and then telephoned his father, Robert.

Mr Scott, who teaches at another school and is a trained first aider, took Richard to hospital and the teenager had his bone reset in the operating theatre later that day.

His mother, Barbara, who also has St John Ambulance training, has criticised the school over the way it handled the accident.

She said: "As a parent, I give responsibility for my son to the school every day.

"They should have called an ambulance, not tried to treat him.

"As far as I can see there is no policy on health and safety, and until there is, that school should be closed down.

"Other schools, including my husband's, have first aiders who are called if there is an accident.

"The local authority should have a policy so all its schools have a health and safety policy and proper procedures in case there is an accident."

There are government and local education authority guidelines about first aid, but no legislation exists to ensure schools provide a trained first aider on their premises.

A spokesman for Durham County Council said: "The minimum requirement is a properly stocked first aid box and someone to take charge of first aid arrangements.

"In this case, it was the school secretary who took control of the situation.

"He or she did everything correctly as we would have expected a trained first aider to do."

No one from Framwellgate School was available to comment