A SIXTH form pupil at an Ipswich school was beaten unconscious by a gang of around 15 pupils on the school field, leaving him with metal screws in his jaw for life.

Russell Claydon

A SIXTH form pupil at an Ipswich school was beaten unconscious by a gang of around 15 pupils on the school field which has left him with metal screws in his jaw for life.

The group of yobs were so relentless in their pursuit of the 18-year-old high achiever they tore his battered body away from Copleston teachers who had intervened and continued to kick him into a pulp.

But the attackers were left in school and to enjoy playing football on the field the next day, while Mosiah Torres lay in a hospital bed awaiting an operation, before any action was taken.

Police have confirmed the school did not contact them until more than 21 hours after the incident occurred at 12.40pm on Monday.

The beaten student's father, Am�rico Torres, is today demanding answers as to why the incident was ever allowed to happen, after previously reporting a number of bullying incidents against his sons.

He believes bullying is a daily problem at Copleston but the headteacher has said this was an “isolated incident”.

Mr Torres is now considering pulling out five of his children from the school.

The horrific beating was dished out after a football strayed into an area of the school playing field being used by the gang, who took extreme offence to someone crossing into their “patch” to pick it up.

After they allegedly began kicking Mosiah's younger brother Eddie, 12 - who is said to have been bullied on previous occasions - the 18-year-old ran over to defend his sibling.

That was when events are alleged to have turned extremely nasty, with a mob delivering a volley of kicks and punches on the sixth form pupil.

Mr Torres said two teachers stepped in to break up the incident and led his son to the school building, but just before they reached the door the mob pulled him back and continued to beat him until he momentarily fell into an unconscious state.

He said: “It is very painful when you have a good son who is suffering because of there guys who are animals. The operation will need to use screws for all his life.”

A spokeswoman for Suffolk police said: “We are investigating an allegation of GBH wounding which occurred at Copleston High School at 12.40pm against an 18-year-old male.”

She said the student was taken into the school's sick bay but paramedics were not called and the pupil was sent home, from where he was later taken to hospital.

The crime was logged as being reported by the victim himself at 7pm on Monday. A subsequent call was made by Copleston High School staff only at 10.25am on Tuesday to report the same incident.

The Father's view:

MOSIAH'S father has called for a rethink of punishments in English schools.

Am�rico Torres, 45, a senior food inspector from east Ipswich, says giving pupils time off school is more of a “prize” for them than a suitable penalty measure.

Mr Torres, who moved with his wife and 11 children from his native Portugal to be closer to friends in Ipswich, said: “What I want to happen to these guys is that they accept in a court that they should be under a behavioral rehabilitation scheme. They need to learn how to behave in a society.

“If you send your children to school it is meant to be one of the safest places in the world - you do not send your children to school to be bullied.”

“Telling them (the attackers) you stay at home for two to three weeks is a joke. This is what they want.”

He said in other countries low-attaining, disruptive students are held back in the year group until they improve, which is a measure he would like to see brought in here. He also wants teachers to have more powers to be able to deal with unruly pupils, as he believes too many are scared of any repercussions.

COPLESTON headteacher Shaun Commons said the school will take “appropriate and firm action” against those behind the horrific beating of Sixth Form pupil Mosiah Torres.

He said: “The school is following the appropriate procedures but it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage, bearing in mind we are in the middle of a police investigation.”

“We have a situation where, understandably, there is a very, very upset parent and I would be upset in the same position. We have a student here who has been seriously assaulted.”

“This is an isolated incident of course. The degree of what happened here is isolated.”

He said the students believed to have carried out the attack have now been suspended following a decision taken with education chiefs at Suffolk County Council on Tuesday night.

They are now subject to a police investigation, which the school are currently offering all their co-operation to.

Of Mosiah, he said: “I know him very well. He is a lovely young man. He is a charming young man and I am sorry what has happened has happened but we are dealing with it now. It is quite an emotive situation at the moment.”

He added: “I am sorry for the injuries the boy has had. I regret it greatly. It is not what I would wish to happen to a young person.”

He pointed to an Ofsted report carried out at the beginning of the month, which said: “The students feel safe at school and are confident that any bullying will be dealt with quickly and appropriately by staff.”