Muggings force private pupils to hide uniforms

Children at £13,000-a-year Highgate School in north London have had mobile phones, music players and wallets stolen.

They are being told to disguise their uniforms on the way home as police warn the pupils are targeted because they look rich.

The move follows a string of muggings involving pupils as they left the school. Highgate Pol ice Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant Leon Christodoulou said: "We have become aware of a number of incidents since October, mainly involving students at Highgate School.

"The groups targeting these students tend to think they come from more privileged backgrounds and are therefore-likely to have a bit more money on them."

Headteacher Adam Pettitt said it was unfortunate children had to be taught how to protect themselves. He said: "The police say young people in all schools should be allowed to dress down on their way to and from school if it makes them safer.

"We follow that advice and our students don't have to wear their uniforms outside school.

"It's bad that children should have to cover up their uniforms. But I think the greater sadness is that we have to teach young people how to protect themselves, and unfortunately this is part of it."

Mr Pettitt added: "I get the impression it's just as difficult controlling the problems between different state schools.

"When there were road closures recently and all the buses were diverted there were problems between groups of children from different schools. I think it's more to do with rivalries than anything else."

A Year 10 pupil said: "The staff haven't told us that we need to make ourselves scruffy or anything.We still have to have our top button done up. It's just that they advise us to wear a coat over our school blazers."

Sgt Christodoulou added that "the stakes are higher" in muggings of school pupils now that they are carrying iPods and other gadgets on their way home.