A TEENAGER suspended from class until he named attackers who assaulted two cleaners is back in school.

Staff at Huntington School, in York, made the unanimous decision to stop teaching a 15-year-old boy after two youths, who allegedly followed him on to the school grounds, badly beat up two male cleaners.

The boy was excluded from lessons and was being taught in isolation, but was suspended for ten days after he walked out of school because he could not spend break times with his friends.

The boy's mother, who does not want herself or her son to be named, said her son had given police the names of two boys who followed him on to the school grounds.

She said her son played no part in the attack and had no way of knowing for certain who the attackers were.

"My son has given the names of the two friends who came to school with him, but they were not involved in the incident," she said.

"We have not condoned the attack at all and right now I'm just glad he is back at school so he can focus on his GCSEs in four months' time."

The mum claims her son was expelled from school before Christmas for shouting abuse at a member of staff out of a bus window.

On the day of the attack, on January 12, she had gone to school with her son to discuss his return with the head teacher.

She said she and her son were in a meeting with head teacher, Chris Bridge, when the incident happened and so her son had no way of knowing who carried it out.

The incident happened at 5.25pm when the two cleaners, both in their 50s, went out to disperse the youths who were on bikes.

They were attacked and one man was hit from behind receiving cuts and bruises to his head which needed hospital treatment.

Both youths, who were wearing scarves covering their faces, went on to punch and kick the men when they were on the ground.

Mr Bridge has 15 years experience as a head teacher and before he came to the 1,510-pupil Huntington School eight years ago, taught at a school in Leeds.

He said that in all that time he had never seen another incident as bad as this.

He said: "We judge that this pupil has now done enough to help police inquiries for us to be able to readily admit him in to normal lessons. But we don't want to say anything further because we do not wish to prejudice the on-going police investigation."

A spokesman for York Police said: "Our investigations are still on-going and we would urge anyone who might know the identity of the youths to come forward and assist by contacting York Police on 0845 6060247."

Updated: 09:47 Thursday, February 02, 2006