Second pupil removed from Ipswich school amid age probe

BBC Stoke High School, IpswichBBC
A second student is "not attending" Stoke High School in Ipswich

A second pupil has been removed from a secondary school where a student is already being investigated over claims he was as old as 30.

The Year 7 pupil - who should be aged 11 or 12 - is "not currently attending" Stoke High in Ipswich, the school confirmed.

It follows claims a Year 11 student - thought to be an asylum seeker - told classmates he was 30.

The Home Office said it won't comment on individual cases.

A spokesman for the school said: "This is a matter for the Home Office and we have referred it to them.

"The student is not attending the school at this time. A student in Year 7 is also not currently attending school."

The school said it had followed government and local authority policies and guidance on the matter.

It added: "We are continuing to liaise with the authorities on this. We have informed parents of the situation and will continue to keep them updated as we receive information."

It is thought the Year 11 student joined the school as a new pupil at the start of term.

A classmate posted an image of him on Snapchat with the words: "How's there a 30 year old man in our maths class."

The East Anglian Daily Times reported that parents suspected the "man" had lied about his age in order to gain GCSEs because his qualifications were not recognised in England.