PUPILS have been suspended from school after a snowball fight in which a teacher was hit in the face.
But now some parents have complained their children were unfairly punished for a spontaneous bout of seasonal mischief.
Ruislip High School has defended its decision to act over an incident which it said 'brought the school's name into disrepute'.
The board decided to exclude a group of 15 and 16-year-olds for three days last week, after three former students ambushed pupils on their way home.
Despite staff intervening in Sidmouth Drive on Monday last week, pupils ignored the warning and continued to hurl snowballs at passing traffic in West End Road, the busy leading leading to a junction of the A40.
Two members of staff were struck, one in the face, as well as a car which was forced to swerve and a lorry whose driver then confronted one of the ex-students.
Mum Louise Hammond said her son Spencer Cadette, 15, was harshly penalised for his part in the snowball fight, and said she is not the only aggrieved parent.
"It's just what kids do when snow falls," she told the Gazette. "I am not saying it is right, but a good telling off would have been enough. We all do it; I was throwing snowballs at my husband."
However, the chair of governors, Manor ward councillor Douglas Mills, took a different view. He said: "Throwing snowballs itself is not a problem, but as I understand it they were weaving in and out of the road.
"The teachers told them to stop and one of them threw a snowball and hit him in the head, which wasn't a good move. One of the vehicles had to swerve and come to an abrupt halt.
"It was stupid, it was anti-social behaviour and it was dangerous. We have a strict discipline code and we have followed it. If parents aren't happy with the decision they can have their children transferred to another school."
The school has not been able to confirm the number of pupils suspended but the Gazette understands it is between five and seven.
