ANGRY parents have voiced their dismay following controversy surrounding their children's World Book Day outfits.

A number of pupils from Furness Academy in Barrow were punished for not dressing up as "mainstream" characters.

Those whose costumes were deemed inappropriate were told to change into their school uniform but, if this wasn't possible, they had to sit in isolation.

One pupil who wore a Batman top was isolated because he didn't have a full costume.

His mother, Traci Ainsworth, said: "He went in a Batman pyjama top, got told to get out as soon as he walked into class and never even got a chance to donate his £1.

"He and others were all told to get outside the room, then he was in isolation all day as I couldn't get there to either bring him home to change, or take his uniform there.

"Apparently, it had to be full costume or nothing.

"He's 15, so I was surprised he even went in his pyjama top, to be honest, but he wanted to do something to contribute to World Book Day."

Another parent was outraged by the fact that her son, who suffers from anxiety, was distressed after being isolated.

He dressed in all black to go as his favourite character from the young adult dystopian novel, Divergent, by Veronica Roth.

But his mother got a phone call to say that he had to be collected as the character he had chosen wasn't "mainstream" enough.

Kirsty Richards said: "I am very upset about it. He is an avid reader, he's got a book shelf in his room.

"Reading is his life because he suffers from very bad anxiety. The poor lad was shaking."

In a statement headmaster Simon Laheney said: "It was great to see so many students taking part in World Book Day in the spirit that it was intended.

"Regrettably, despite making our expectations clear in a letter to parents, on our website and through directly speaking to the students, there were still some that chose to follow their own agenda.

"We made it clear that it was not simply a non-uniform day and for those students who chose to treat it as such with a tenuous link to a non-descript book character that they would, in the first instance, be isolated until we could arrange for them to change.

"It is a shame that such a day primarily organised by the senior students and members of the student council be marred by a few of their peers who chose to ignore the expectations."

Furness Academy and other schools in the area celebrate World Book Day every year which gives the opportunity for students to dress up as their favourite book characters and donate £1 to good causes.