A ten-year-old boy has been suspended from his primary school after showing his friends a bag of cannabis in the playground.

Police officers were called to the primary school after school staff spotted a Year 6 pupil showing other children the class B drug during break time.

Parents said it is the second time a pupil had been caught with drugs at the school in two years.

Sussex Police officers were called to the Bewbush Academy in Dorsten Place, Crawley, at 11.15am on Monday.

They were alerted after the boy pulled out the bag to show his friends.

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A teaching assistant patrolling the playground during the scheduled break saw the group and took the bag from the child.

Police officers have spoken to the child’s parents and officers are now making further inquiries.

A police spokeswoman said the house where the child lives was not searched by officers but they did carry out a visit to the property.

Rumours on Facebook this week claimed that the child had taken cocaine and cannabis into the school but a police spokeswoman said he was caught with just cannabis.

The Argus understands the boy has been suspended from school for a week.

The 500-pupil academy opened in April last year and received a satisfactory rating in its latest Ofsted inspection.

Parents told The Argus the incident comes just two years after another pupil was caught taking drugs into the school, leading to his exclusion for two years.

One mother of two children who also go to the school said: “There are parents who are pulling their children out of the school because of this.

“My mother wants me to take my children out.

“The headteacher is holding an assembly about the dangers of drugs but I think that should be down to the parents.

“There are children who are too young to be told about those things.”

A police spokeswoman said: “Police attended a school in Bewbush after a Year 6 pupil was found to be in possession of a small quantity of cannabis on Monday, September 9, at 11.15am.

“An officer spoke to the child and took him home.

“The school is dealing with the incident.”

Staff at the Bewbush Academy were unavailable for comment when contacted by The Argus yesterday.