One child a month gets excluded from school in Dundee for drugs possession, new figures have revealed.
Between April 2014 and the end of March 2015, 12 pupils were removed from school premises for possessing drugs.
A further three were excluded due to alcohol possession.
The schools affected were Grove Academy, Harris Academy, Craigie High, Baldragon Academy and Morgan Academy.
Dundee City Council said all the cases were reported to Police Scotland.
Laurie Matthew, manager of Dundee-based youth charity 18 and Under, said: “I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“It’s good that these 15 people have been identified and I’d hope that as well as exclusion, they are put in touch with services which can help them. Just excluding young people achieves nothing unless there’s something else in place to support them and help them get back on track.
“So many of our young people have dabbled in various substances. I would expect a figure closer to 500 than 15 in all honesty.”
“Even passing school gates you can often see suspicious groups gathering or notice suspicious smells.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said there are guidelines in place for any drug- related incident in schools.
He added: “Pupils are warned of the dangers of drugs through a detailed programme aiming to tackle substance misuse and the damage it can cause to their lives.
“Schools also work closely with the police and voluntary agencies to deliver these messages and advice to young people.”