TWO teenage girls have been arrested and excluded from a York secondary school after taking Ecstasy tablets.

The girls, in Year 9 at All Saints' RC School, were taken home from school and arrested following an incident during school assembly at the start of the school day on Tuesday.

Both girls, who are 13 or 14 years old, became distressed and started crying before being escorted out of the room, and their fellow pupils told teachers they thought they had been taking drugs.

One of the girls admitted straight away that she had taken pills, and a search of her locker turned up five tablets. The school called both girls' parents and the police.

Head teacher Bill Scriven said he viewed drug taking extremely seriously, and had excluded one girl for five days, and the other, who had the pills in her locker, for seven days.

The incident emerged a day after the Evening Press reported how the head teacher at Tadcaster Grammar School, Geoff Mitchell, had excluded a Year 11 girl for possessing cannabis after students tipped off their teacher.

A woman, whose daughter is in the same year group at All Saints', criticised the school for not excluding the girls for longer.

She said: "A lot of girls in that class are saying it's wrong that they should come back at all.

"I thought All Saints' was one of the best schools in York, but it's just like any other."

She claimed her daughter had also been offered Ecstasy, but had turned it down.

Mr Scriven said the school was carrying out a full investigation, and if as a result either girl was found to be dealing drugs then it could lead to a permanent exclusion.

"This is a very serious issue and we are investigating it thoroughly.

"I feel sure at this stage that it is an isolated incident, but if we find there are other incidents or dealing is going on it could lead to a permanent exclusion. In this case I am very pleased with the way the other pupils felt confident enough to come forward and tell staff when these girls were in trouble.

"If this lady's daughter has been encouraged to take drugs she should come forward and tell someone, but parents are fooling themselves if they think teenage children aren't being approached in society at large. What we have got to do is educate them to make informed decisions and look out for each other."

A spokeswoman for York Police said officers had attended the school and as a result of the incident two girls were arrested and are currently on police bail.

Updated: 09:20 Saturday, March 25, 2006