RANDOM drug testing is not needed at York secondary schools, according to a head teacher in the city.

Manor School head Brian Crosby said he would not welcome a national programme of random drugs testing, as there was no real need at York schools.

His comments came as drug-testing was set to be rolled out to all secondary schools in England as part of a crackdown on drug use among pupils.

From September, schoolchildren in Kent will be tested with mouth swabs for drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin.

This follows a pilot scheme at The Abbey School in Faversham that was said to have transformed the behaviour of pupils, as well as their results.

Over the year, 600 random drug tests were carried out on pupils aged between 11 and 18. One child tested positive for cannabis.

"I, personally, would find random drugs testing of pupils intrusive," said Mr Crosby.

"I don't think that in York we have a significant level of problems with drug taking that they have in other areas of the country to warrant random testing.

"I think any policy should be adapted to suit the needs of the different area of the country.

"I know that most, if not all, York secondary schools have a robust drugs policy and action plan and we work with the pupils and their parents when drug taking does occur."

But Nick Seaton, the chairman of the York-based parent support group the Campaign For Real Education, said he thought most parents would welcome testing.

He said: "Parents are often the last people to know when their children are getting involved in drugs and this would be an extra deterrent.

"I would also like to see drug education geared more towards preventing youngsters from taking drugs, rather than what they should do once they have experimented."

On Monday, The Press reported that three students were suspended from All Saints' RC School after a 13-year-old boy was caught with cannabis.

All three students have been suspended from school for 15 days pending further investigations and warned it could lead to a permanent exclusion.

Last month, All Saints' expelled two teenage girls for taking ecstasy tablets.

Head teacher Bill Scriven said the school was determined to continue to take a tough line on drugs, insisting it was an isolated incident and has written to parents to reassure them.

A Department of Health report disclosed recently that one in every 50 schoolchildren claimed to have taken cocaine and 12 per cent said that they had smoked cannabis.