Holly ChapmanGAZETTE & HERALD: TWELVE-year-old Holly Chapman says she wants to die because she is being bullied so badly at school.

Holly says she was knocked unconscious two weeks ago and has returned home from Chippenham's Abbeyfield School with a fractured arm, black eyes and broken nose since she started in September.

She says every day she is verbally abused by school bullies and at least twice a week she will get hit by the group of boys and girls.

Headteacher Trish Shubrook said they do not comment on individual cases.

But she said: "What I can tell you is there has been extensive support offered to this youngster and her family and there has been a number of external agencies involved in trying to resolve this and we continue to work very hard to improve the situation."

Holly, from London Road, Chippenham, says she was bullied throughout primary school for no particular reason and when she moved up to Abbeyfield it just seemed to get worse.

She says her persecutors are in the same class as her and strike throughout lessons and at break times.

Her father, Mervyn, 62, said: "It got so bad she has self-harmed and she's said so many times she wants to take her own life because if she was dead she wouldn't have to put up with this at school.

"That's a horrible thing for a little girl to say. I'm frightened to send her to school at times. I'm nursing five heart attacks since January and this is really putting a lot of stress on me. All we want is for the school to recognise they have a severe bullying problem and to address it."

On April 21, Holly says she was pushed to the ground and her arm was stamped on, fracturing it in two places.

The next day she says she was thrown down a flight of stairs.

She has now missed year seven exams due to numerous hospital appointments and the fact her writing arm is broken.

"I worry a lot and feel really nervous," Holly said. "They are verbally horrible every day but hit me once or twice a week."

Two weeks ago Holly says she was attacked by a girl in school. She said: "She put me in a headlock. I got out of it by slapping her and walked away and she punched me on the back of the head, knocking me out unconscious. I was excluded out of school for one day, the other girl was excluded in school for two lessons."

Holly says the only thing keeping her at the school is her friends but they are too scared of the bullies to help her.

She said she couldn't go to Sheldon or Hardenhuish because it was too far away and she wouldn't be able to travel there.

Holly said: "When I try and speak to the teachers about it and try and ask for help they ignore it. I've seen other people get bullied and nothing gets done about it."

Mrs Shubrook said the school has an anti-bullying policy and it was made clear to students what is acceptable and unacceptable in the school.

She said: "Every case or incident, which is reported, is followed up and we always tell children they must speak to somebody if they are unhappy."