THOUSANDS of pupils across part of York shut their school gates on bullying.

As part of a coordinated campaign to mark Anti-Bullying Week this week, nine schools in the west of the city closed their gates with pupils and staff each attaching a blue ribbon with their name or a brief message on as a symbolic gesture.

Pupils at York High School, Westfield, Carr, Hob Moor Federation - which includes Hob Moor Primary and Hob Moor Oaks Special School, Woodthorpe, Acomb, Poppleton Road, and St Barnabas CE, which collectively have about 2,500 children, all took part in the event on Wednesday.

At York High, students studying GCSE photography took pictures of all the school gates before making a montage.

The school' deputy head, Rod Sims, said: "It has been about joining up the schools on this side of York in a united stand against bullying. It's to show people that it doesn't matter if you are five years old or 16, the attitude is the same in all schools.

"We are aware that this is a symbolic gesture and the most effective work is done day to day dealing with each individual case, taking each one seriously and trying to reconcile differences.

"The event has tied us together as a community. There is always a perceived gap between five to 11-year-olds and 11 to 16-year-olds, primary and secondary education, and this shows everyone that all children are treated the same whether they are at primary or secondary school."

Every year the Anti-Bullying Alliance coordinate national Anti-Bullying Week, a week where children and young people, schools, parents and carers come together with one aim: to stop bullying.

This year in particular all school communities were encouraged to take action to stop bullying of all children, including people with disabilities and those with special educational needs.