PARENTS of pupils at Newent Community School have been receiving education on drugs.

The school hosted a drug awareness evening for parents on Wednesday, with the help of experts working in the field.

The fact-finding session followed an incident last autumn when a sixth former received a temporary suspension after being found in possession of cannabis, although the incident was outside school boundaries and hours.

Event organiser and teacher Di Harrill said: "Obviously, we don't have a large amount of kids caught carrying drugs, but it will go on, out of school."

The school, off Watery Lane, has traditionally played a pro-active role in drugs education and in recent years Paul Betts, the father of Ecstasy victim Leah Betts, has visited the school to give a talk at parents' evenings.

On Tuesday morning, police officers came into class, as they are regularly invited to do, to get across the anti-drugs message to Year 8 pupils.

Miss Harrill said: "We have a drugs education programme from Year 7, right the way through, to help the kids to make the right choices."

Around 100 parents responded to the school's invitation to attend Wednesday's drugs awareness evening.

Agencies attending included the Young Persons' Substance Misuse Service and the Gloucestershire Drugs and Alcohol Service.

The Gloucestershire County Council Info-Bus, which visits county schools in connection with drugs education, also attended, together with Jan Urban-Smith, the county's personal and social education advisor.

Miss Harrill said: "The evening, featuring talks and workshops, was a way to put a few things together so that parents know what is going on."