I was interested to read about the Australian man who was awarded more than £1 million because he was given the strap at school some 17 years ago.

I attended a local grammar school some 25-30 years ago when this sort of

punishment was pretty much routine. I was strapped and caned on a regular basis. There was also a lot of hair pulling, ear pulling and slaps to the head from the teachers.

I'm not one of those individuals who will say: "Oh yes, it happened, but it never did me any harm." I seriously believe it did. I also believe the teachers and head teachers who inflicted these "punishments" should be prosecuted for the abuse they dished out.

I cannot believe a supposedly educated adult can strike a 14 or 15-year-old boy as hard as he possibly can with a piece of wood or leather without knowing what he is doing is wrong.

Of course, there is always the possibility these teachers were gaining some kind of perverse pleasure out of what they were doing. Maybe there are teachers or ex-teachers out there with an opposite opinion to mine who think that what they were doing was "for my own good". I would be interested to hear them explain themselves.

Maybe there is a solicitor reading this who believes I have a case. I would be

very interested to hear from them too.

-P H, Saltdean, Brighton