A YORK primary school wants to launch a pro-active "bug-busting" initiative to prevent an autumn infestation of head lice.

After the summer holidays, head lice commonly return to schools across the city, spreading from class to class.

Scarcroft School, in Moss Street, York, has asked parents for their thoughts on "bug-busting" weeks - five-day drives every half-term to check pupils' hair for head lice.

In the school's newsletter, head teacher Anna Cornhill describes headlice as a "distressing, but age-old problem."

She continues: "It has been suggested that schools who identify bug-busting weeks are more successful in eradicating them for longer periods of time.

"These are weeks held each half-term, where everyone in school checks their hair on a daily basis for five days.

"I would be interested to hear parents' views on whether or not this strategy would be worth trying."

Gail Smith, school health nurse manager at Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT), said the days of "nit nurses" inspecting queues of school children were long gone.

Instead, the onus was on parents to regularly check their children's hair.

Gail said parents should check heads at least every couple of days using a fine toothed or "detector" comb and then remove them using a "nit comb", lotion or shampoo.

She said: "You will never eradicate head lice; we would literally have to keep everybody at home on one particular day, treat them and not let them out of the house. We have to learn to live with them.

"People can visit their chemist, or GP, who will advise them on various lotions and shampoos to treat their children."

Contrary to myths, head lice do not jump, fly or choose any particular type of hair. Younger children who are more likely to put their heads together are most at risk of catching them.

Gail said that previously, head lice would become resistant to certain lotions and shampoos, but that was no longer the case because there was so much choice.

A free Lose The Lice kit containing Lice Attack treatment kits and educational leaflets for parents and children is being offered to York schools. Write to Lice Attack offer, 5th floor, 14 Golden Square, London, W1F 9JF.

Updated: 09:47 Saturday, October 02, 2004