Female college students banned from whistling AT builders

The students singled out contractors working on an extension to West Kent College for amorous comments and cheeky remarks.

But the joke has become so persistent that the pupils have been threatened with disciplinary action.

The tables have turned: Construction workers are renowned for wolf-whistling attractive girls

An email was sent to pupils which said: 'It has come to the attention of the college that some female students have been making comments to, or whistling at, the builders both whilst on site and as they walk around the campus.

'Although we are sure no offence is meant, this constitutes harassment and is wholly unacceptable.

'We have asked the contractors' representative to pass on all instances of harassment to the college and we will take appropriate action which may include disciplinary action.'

The building site at West Kent College, Tonbridge. Students have been advised not to whistle at the workers

The email was sent after a demolition team started work on a £94 million, three-year building project at the campus.  

No builder has complained of harassment yet, despite the extra attention.

A spokesman for the contractors, Galliford Try, said: 'We have no registered complaints on this issue. However we do not condone inappropriate behaviour from any parties on our sites.'

Employment law specialist Peter Mooney, head of consultancy at Employment Law Advisory Services, said the college could be sued for sexual harassment if the attention of the students was persistent enough.

He said: 'The builders would be covered by protection from harassment at work. If they feel intimidated to the extent it is bullying or harassment or hurting someone then the college could be liable.

'Students would have to abide by the rules of the college or they could be dismissed, in the same way employees would loose their job if they harassed someone in this way.'

Builder's bottom: A common site on the construction site ... but now female students are whistling at workers extending their college

The college in Tonbridge, Kent, has 2,300 pupils from aged 16 studying GCSEs and A-Levels. It also has Higher Education courses for older students.

It comes as new laws are set to make it possible for building-site workers who wolf-whistle and shout obscene remarks at passing females to be put on the sex offenders register.

The Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill will create a new offence of "communicating indecently", punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

The legislation is intended to punish sexual harassment by text, e-mails and letters, but ministers also aim to include sexually explicit comments to strangers.

It is expected that the law would only apply to persistent offenders.

At the moment, workmen who repeatedly make obscene comments to passers-by can be convicted of a breach of the peace.

Under the new law, if a woman has been verbally harassed on more than one occasion by a workman despite making her displeasure known, a procurator fiscal could pursue a charge of communicating indecently against the perpetrator.

Those convicted would automatically be placed on the sex offenders register.

In April building firm George Wimpey in Bristol banned its builders from wolf-whistling at women. It claimed the tradition was putting off "savvy and sophisticated" female house-hunters.

George Wimpey Bristol banned their employees from making cheeky remarks or innuendo, declaring the "outdated" tradition is not acceptable in today's world.