Up to 20 children were ordered home from a school in a uniform purge.

The Towers School in Ashford clamped down on 15 to 20 pupils who came in wearing the wrong coloured trousers, trainers or no blazers on Friday.

All their parents were contacted and told to take their children home to change.

Those who could not be immediately picked up were kept in a class until their parents arrived.

The secondary school’s head teacher Malcolm Ramsey said: “The school is entitled to do this. This is part of its disciplinary code.

“At the end of last term parents were warned about this in the newsletter. A total 98 per cent of pupils complied so the 15 to 20 make just two per cent.”

Mr Ramsey said that some pupils had already been noticed breaking the rules on Thursday, the first day of the full school’s return after the summer holiday.

He said all offenders were “challenged” on Friday, the day the year’s first assembly was held.

He explained that pupils who had failed to comply had worn black trousers, instead of the compulsory mid-grey, had trainers instead of the obligatory black shoes or came in with no blazers.

Mr Ramsey said: “The majority of pupils concerned came back later on Friday wearing the right clothes and the rest are expected back on Monday.”