A father claims a Witham primary school is forcing children to wear jumpers in the scorching heat to stop the risk of sunburn.

Dad-of-three Paul Knock, of Calamint Road, Witham, criticised the policy at Powers Hall Infant School, which he said asks for every child to wear long-sleeved tops, jumpers or cardigans so they do not burn their arms in the sun.

IT manager Mr Knock, whose son Jack, four, and Daisy, five, attends the infant school in Spa Road, blasted the rule as “disgusting and cruel”.

The 35-year-old noticed most children were wearing jumpers in the recent hot weather when he and his wife Claire were invited to a family fun day.

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.