Several pupils aged 13 and 14 have been suspended from a Brighton school after being caught with cannabis.

The incident has been reported to police and an investigation is being carried out at Longhill School in Rottingdean.

At least one pupil has been accused of dealing in cannabis while it is suspected the others were in possession of the drug. It is not clear whether the pupils were taking drugs on the school premises.

Parents and pupils will be interviewed by poilice and the head of the Falmer Road school, Geoffrey Ellis.

Mr Ellis said: "No decision has yet been made about appropriate long term punishment.

"This will depend on each child's level of involvement. It will depend if they brought drugs into the school or were dealing in drugs.

"We take this matter very seriously but it is not fair to the children who have been directly involved to make comments until decisions have been made.

"We can understand parents' anxiety but we will deal most seriously with people who have brought drugs into the school for dealing. Fortunately this does not happen very often.

"We have a drugs education programme which is unfortunately necessary these days. On the whole schools are relatively drug free zones compared to what goes on in the community.

"Unfortunately other people sometimes influence the youngsters more than we can."

Sergeant Miles Orton, of Sussex Police divisional patrol unit, confirmed the incident had taken place and was being investigated.

He said: "The allegations over the supply of drugs will be passed on to a specialist unit.

"If someone is supplying within a school, then people are possessing within the school and possession is a crime so we are looking at other pupils being involved."