A SCHOOL has slapped a 'don't touch' ban on amorous sixth formers.

Two pupils have been warned about their behaviour with girlfriends in years 12 and 13 at Bishop Heber High School, Malpas.

But defiant pupils say they won't let head of sixth form Graham Bibby throw cold water over their romances.

They say Mr Bibby, a psychology teacher, approached a number of couples to inform them of a ban on school relationships before announcing it to the whole sixth form.

But the school is playing down the row, claiming two pupils were simply 'spoken to' about behaving inappropriately.

One 17-year-old, who asked not to be named, said: 'In the morning briefing he said he doesn't want any relationships in school. He said he doesn't want people hanging around together in a relation-ship and said 'you wouldn't like it if teachers did that'.

'He said there should be no physical contact whatsoever. He never gave a reason why.'

Another 17-year-old said: 'Mr Bibby came to the sixth form and said we don't want to see people cuddling, kissing or making out of any sort. He doesn't want to see us touching each other.'

'Maybe he's walked past the sixth form common room and seen people doing it and got more and more annoyed. That's what some of us were thinking.'

The student said he would carry on as normal but 'not right in front of him'.

An 18-year-old said: 'There are quite a few couples and they're not very happy.

'The rest of the school is allowed relationships, nothing has been said to them. Some couples live 20 or 30 miles apart and most of the time they only see each other in college.'

School governor Anna Patten said: 'Young people do form relationships with members of the opposite sex. It's a normal part of growing up. I would say it's a storm in a tea cup.'

Cheshire County Council spokesman Ian Callister, who has spoken to headteacher David Curry, said: 'Two male members of the sixth form have been spoken to about behaving appropriately whilst on school grounds. The whole sixth form was then told what had been said.'

david.holmes@cheshirenews.co.uk