A FURIOUS Selby mother today enlisted the help of Cherie Blair in a fight to get justice for her bullied son.

Sandra Crabb said her 14-year-old son, Dominic, was missing out on his education because of relentless bullying by fellow pupils at Selby High School. She said it was an infringement of his civil rights and she had written to the Prime Minister's wife because of her track record in campaigning for human rights.

Mother-of-four Mrs Crabb, of Brook Street, Selby, said she was now considering taking legal action against the school for "failing to protect" her son.

She said: "I have told Mrs Blair that this is not a one-off, I've already had several phone calls from other mothers in the same situation.

"Dominic is missing out on his education, while the bullies are still at school. It's always the victims who end up losing out.

"We also want Mrs Blair to help us set up a local support group.

"At present, kids are too frightened to report bullying or to ask for help."

Dominic has now been off school for a fortnight after the latest incident, in which he says he was forced to walk on ice across Selby Canal and pick up dog dirt.

Mrs Crabb said: "Two months ago he was punched in the face and returned home black and blue, wearing a blood-soaked shirt.

"He's also been thrown into a school refuse bin. It's been going on for three years - it's a living hell and we've decided enough is enough.

"Dominic has lost half-a-stone in weight and can't eat or sleep.

"He is really jumpy and when he's out, he's always looking over his shoulder. That's no way to live."

Dominic told the Evening Press today that he was never going back to Selby High.

He said: "I'm too scared. It started with name-calling and just got worse."

North Yorkshire County Council education chiefs said they had launched an investigation and provided support and advice to the victim.

Selby High head teacher Robin Fugill said today the school had a "zero tolerance" policy towards bullying.

He said: "In a school of 1,100 pupils, issues arise in which children become unhappy because someone has been unkind. It also happens in the workplace.

"Bullying is not a big issue at this school, but we are working with parents and others to sort the problem out."

Updated: 15:01 Friday, February 07, 2003