The mum of a disabled teenager has slammed cruel bullies after her son was "stabbed with a pencil" and "spat on" at school.
The 14-year-old has been suffering abuse at Irvine Royal Academy in Ayrshire over the past two years.
Now the teen's mum has lifted the lid on the misery her son has endured and claims thugs have been targeting him due to his hearing impairment.
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The 14-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous amid fears he will be targeted again, "enjoyed" school until he fitted with a hearing aid in August 2021 report the Record.
Since then, he has been taunted over the device with his head "repeatedly bashed off windows and walls".
One one occasion, it is claimed the pupil was "stabbed" with a pencil during class.
The schoolboy's 33-year-old mum told the Record: "Everything was fine for the first couple of weeks in school, he loved it. As soon as he got his hearing aid, everything changed and since then.
"It has been non-stop. It started as name-calling and cruel taunts about the device and because it went unchecked, it spiralled into aggression.
"He's had his head bashed against walls and windows, coins thrown at him and food pelted at him as he walked through the changing room doors for P.E. I don't understand how it has gone this far, it should have been nipped in the bud early on."
Shocking images show huge lumps on the schoolboy's head and a puncture mark on the side of his face. Due to the constant torment, he is also refusing to wear his hearing aid - meaning he is relying on lipreading to communicate.
His mum continued: "We got him another skin-coloured hearing aid that could be moulded into his ear so you couldn't see it didn't change anything - the bullying just went on. It's at the point now where he won't wear it at all, meaning he is left with only his right ear for hearing.
"He hasn't been back at school for weeks, the final straw was when he was spat in the face before the Easter Holidays. He walked home and that was it, he now doesn't want to return. When he got home that day, he felt disgusted.
"He doesn't deserve that sort of pain."
The teen has now become a "recluse" and no longer wants to take part in family activities. Although his mum has attended multiple meetings with the school, she believes the bullying has got worse as the teen is continuously targeted whenever he returns to class.
She said: "My son used to be such a happy, social and bubbly boy. Now, he's stopped doing football and is stuck in his bedroom because he just doesn't want to leave.
"He's basically got no friends because he doesn't want to socialise, it's breaking my heart. I've had meetings with the school but nothing ever changes, if anything the bullying just gets worse.
"I'm really worried about his education - he wants to be a police officer but I don't know how he will get the qualifications if he isn't getting a chance to learn without being bullied. As a mum, you can imagine how heartbreaking this is for me to watch.
"I just don't know what to do or how to resolve it. I feel helpless, I just want him to be able to go to school and live a normal life like other kids."
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Local labour councillor, Louise McPhater, said: "It is really saddening for me to hear about this case in my own community. I will be in touch with the family to get this issue resolved as soon as possible."
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Irvine Royal Academy, like all our schools, take bullying extremely seriously and all incidents are recorded, documented and action is taken if necessary.
"While we can’t talk about individual pupils and their wellbeing we would urge any parent/carer of a child to continue to engage with the school.
"We always look to find solutions for any pupil who raises concerns and to help them as much as we possibly can.”
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