Mediation between parents and staff over the issue of relationships education at a Birmingham primary school has stalled.

Nazir Afzal who is in charge of steering talks between the council, parents and teachers, told Sky News that six weeks of discussions have been unsuccessful.

He claimed staff at Anderton Park Primary School are at risk and frequently break down in tears because of hostility at the school gates - with protests taking place against teaching children about same-sex relationships.

Mr Afzal, a former chief prosecutor for North West England, said: "I can't think of any other way to get people round a table again than to speak to you and Sky.

"I've looked at the curriculum, there is nothing in the curriculum that is LGBT specific. There is nothing about gay sex.


"I've seen people walking around outside of that school with stuff that they have downloaded from the internet suggesting this is on the curriculum.

"This is what's being taught to their children. It's a lie. And this is what I'm dealing with."

Image: Nazir Afzal has tackled issues including honour based violence and gang grooming

Anderton Park Primary has been at the heart of the row over relationships education for more than two months.

The headteacher previously told Sky News that her position remained unchanged despite almost daily protests at the school gates from parents and her own pupils calling for her to go.

Mr Afzal said misinformation was being spread among parents by people with no children at the school - people he describes as "other agents". He blames them for the talks breaking down.

He added: "I want everybody that's involved who shouldn't be involved to back off... those other individuals, invariably men unfortunately, want to get involved in the subject quite frankly for their own purposes. They're making this really, really difficult."

Image: A protest outside Anderton Park Primary over teaching children about same sex relationships

While some parents are protesting over concerns children aged four and five are too young to be taught about same-sex relationships, Mr Afzal claims there are other protesters jumping on the bandwagon who simply want to settle scores over the Trojan Horse scandal in 2014, when Ofsted found evidence of strict religious practices being imposed in secular schools in Birmingham.

He explained: "I've spoken to people who said that's what their agenda is, that they feel the city council didn't treat them fairly.

"And quite rightly so, there were some schools that were rated Ofsted outstanding, overnight they became Ofsted inadequate because of the Trojan horse scandal... I understand there's a lot of pain about the way people feel that was dealt with but I don't believe they should be using that pain to settle scores."

Image: Parents, children and protesters demonstrate against the lessons

Sky News understands the headteacher of Anderton Primary School has already met with about 60 parents to discuss concerns and age-appropriate learning, but there are more than 300 parents who still have not entered into talks.

Mr Afzal said: "I've seen dozens and dozens of men invariably, outside that school, coming straight from the mosque for example or from whatever place of worship, who have no place to be there.

"What the hell are they doing outside screaming at five year olds? What are they doing?

"This could be fixed in a day if the headteacher was allowed to continue her conversations with the parents."

With relationships education due to become statutory in all schools in England from September 2020, Mr Afzal is calling for the government to step in.

He warned similar conflict could break out in schools up and down the country if the conflict is not resolved in Birmingham, adding: "The government need to mandate what needs to happen around relationship education. What should be the curriculum, not just simply leave it for local interpretation because this is what will happen... The government are cowardly in this regard.

"This is a political matter... there are loads of people who still don't believe in gay relationships, who still don't believe in LGBT within the government party, within their coalition partners.

"And so they're not prepared to get involved in this subject. And quite frankly unless the government do, we're going to have this dispute rumbling on for years and years and years and it'll get worse and worse and worse."