SIX Axe Valley Community College students have been caught on school premises with cannabis.

SIX Axe Valley Community College students have been caught on school premises with cannabis.

Head teacher Martin Smith said the students had been suspended for three to four days.

He said: "We take such matters extremely seriously and have taken appropriate action in dealing with the incident."

Neighbourhood beat manager PC Darren Herridge warned of the dangers of the Class B drug and said school students were not exempt from police punishment.

He said: "This is an isolated incident where some senior pupils at the school have made some very poor errors of judgement.

"It was a small amount of cannabis and the school has taken positive action to ensure that the right message is sent out to other pupils.

"A school can involve the police if they choose and the offender can be dealt with like anybody else. Don't think you will get a lesser punishment because you are at school."

He warned cannabis could cause mental health problems and encourage people to try other drugs.

He said: "It's a slippery slope. In my experience [use of cannabis] can lead people to start experimenting with Class A drugs.

"Stronger forms of cannabis can cause paranoia and psychosis.