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A secondary school has banned girls from wearing skirts and ordered them to wear trousers as part of a new gender-neutral dress code.

Pupils starting at the Priory school in Lewes, East Sussex, will be required to wear grey trousers rather than the usual grey skirt as part of its updated uniform policy.

Bosses at the comprehensive said they introduced the plans as it looks to combat the issue of “inequality" at the school.

Headteacher Tony Smith said the school has a “small but increasing number of transgender students” and that numerous pupils had questioned the school's traditional policy.

Some parents have criticised the decision, while TV presenter Piers Morgan, who attended the school’s sixth form, branded the move “ridiculous”.

The rule only applies to Year 7 pupils, but other students are welcome to switch as part of the new policy.

One parent, who did not want to be named, told the Mirror: “My daughter and her friends are appalled by this.

"The school is creating a hostile environment for girls by treating their views with contempt: there was no consultation. It was just imposed by the head.

"The hypocrisy is what gets me the most.”

Former pupil Mr Morgan told the Mail Online: “It's disappointing to see one of my old schools getting sucked into this gender neutrality nonsense, which is being driven by a tiny minority of people.

“Let boys be boys and girls be girls, and stop confusing them in this ridiculous way."

Headteacher Mr Smith said that while the move was largely brought in because of transgender pupils, there had also been complaints in the community about pupils “indecently” wearing the skirts.

He said: "Pupils have been saying why do boys have to wear ties and girls don't, and girls have different uniform to boys.

"So we decided to have the same uniform for everybody from Year 7.

"Another issue was that we have a small but increasing number of transgender students and therefore having the same uniform is important for them.

“We know the current uniform is not necessarily worn as respectfully as it should be.”