A 13-year-old boy has been suspended from school after a football tackle on a classmate.

The incident happened during a PE class at Greenfaulds High School in Cumbernauld, resulting in a fellow pupil suffering serious ligament damage.

Second-year pupil Argyle Barclay was suspended for the challenge, which the school describes as one of the "worst" ever seen but his mother hit out at the way teachers dealt with the issue.

An ambulance was called for the pupil, who will not be able to take part in sport for eight weeks following the tackle on Wednesday.

School headteacher Linda Park said: "The teacher who took the class was a professional footballer and is now a UEFA B-licensed coach, with 11 years' coaching experience.

"He said the tackle, which the entire class witnessed, was one of the worst challenges he had ever seen and was deliberately intended to hurt the other player.

"The other pupil was taken to hospital and won't be able to return to school for four days or take part in sport for a further eight weeks.

"We have a duty of care to all our pupils and this behaviour has no place on the football pitch or in the school."

Argyle's mother, Elaine, said her son is not a "menace" and did not mean to seriously hurt the boy.

She said: "I am concerned about the boy's injuries. If it was Argyle I would have been in tears.

"But I do not like the way the school has dealt with this.

"They put him in a room and took his mobile phone away from him."

She added: "They are making him out to be some sort of menace in the school when he is not. Argyle is a very good pupil at school.

"He does great in his lessons. He has never had detention or been suspended or had any referrals. I think they are well over the top with this.

"The teachers never gave me the opportunity to go to the school and sit with Argyle before they started to question and intimidate him. He is only 13."

A letter from the school claimed the incident could have resulted in a broken ankle for the pupil.

It adds the pupil was previously warned for his tackles before the final challenge.

A meeting is due to take place involving the mother of the child and the school on Tuesday.