Girl, 2, expelled from nursery

A girl of two was yesterday landed with the reputation of being Britain's youngest classroom menace.

Tia Johns was expelled from her nursery after being accused of repeatedly scratching other children in her group over the last six months.

But her mother, Teresa, hit back over the decision, claiming her daughter's bad behaviour was the result of her having a more active mind than other children her age.

Matters came to a head when Tia scratched four other infants in a single day.

Their parents complained to the Hopscotch nursery in New Cross, Wolverhampton, whose bosses told Tia's mother to seek alternative child care.

Miss Johns, 34, who lives in Wolverhampton and is separated from Tia's father, condemned the decision.

She said: 'Tia had been at the nursery since she was six months old and there were no problems until about six months ago when she started scratching other children.

'Other parents complained because of it, and I don't have a problem with that.

'The nursery tried to help her and to find out why she was doing it. But that didn't help so they brought in a behavioural management expert.'

She went on: 'The behavioural management expert has been to see me since, and says that what Tia does is just down to her age.

'I'm not happy because rather than dealing with the problem they have just got rid of her.'

Yesterday Miss Johns said that in order to arrange alternative child care she had had to take a week off work from her job as an auxiliary nurse at New Cross hospital.

She also claims she is still waiting for a refund for the three weeks Tia has been excluded. 'They keep saying it's in the post,' she said.

Tia has since attended another local nursery, Young Ones.

Her mother added: 'They have had no incidents at all. She is now obviously getting the care she needs.'

Hopscotch nursery declined to comment.