Outraged parents have hit out at a school's decision to reportedly refuse a toilet break to a 12-year-old pupil.
A teacher at Holly Lodge Girls' College in West Derby allegedly told the pupil that using the toilet was "a privilege, not a right" when she asked for a bathroom break during an afternoon lesson.
Mum-of-two Rebecca Tregilgas said the incident left her "constantly worrying" about her daughters, who both attend the school, as she feared they would be embarrassed in front of their classmates.
The parent claimed that she had complained "eight or ten" times since January about the bathroom policy.
She told the Liverpool Echo: "Even people in prison have access to a toilet whenever they want it.
"These are schools - they aren't prisons. They should have access to a toilet whenever they need it."
Other parents took to social media to support Rebecca, responding to claims that some secondary schools routinely denied pupils access to bathrooms during lesson times.
Nicola Bennett said: "All senior schools are the same, my son comes in rushing for the loo as he has held it in for hours, disgusting."
Christine Radford said: "All secondary schools are getting like this it is wrong, if they need toilet they should be allowed. When girls are on there monthly cycle they need toilet more it's pathetic I will tell my grandchildren if they need it just go if they not allowed to go walk out of school."
Catherine Walker added: "This is why so many kids suffer with bladder problems and water infections, being told to "hold it in until break time, its cruel and totally unnecessary."
Samantha Mcginnity wrote: "I had this when I was In high school, weren't allowed toilet in class but if we had a toilet pass we could. How embarrassing for kids with problems to have to show their pass to go toilet. Pathetic and not fair on the kids."
A spokesperson for Holly Lodge said that it is not school policy to deny toilet breaks to pupils.
They said: “Students are not routinely denied access to a toilet during lessons and this is managed by teachers from a safeguarding point of view. If a toilet were locked, staff will provide students with a key or a key code.
“If a student has a medical condition which may mean they need to use the toilet more frequently, they would be provided with a toilet pass for which we would ask for evidence of a condition to be able to issue the pass.
“We are currently investigating the claim that a member of staff used the phrase ‘a privilege, not a right’, but this is not school policy.
"All students at our school have access to toilets at any time during the school day and there are always a sufficient number of toilets available.”
