A headteacher has defended her decision to ban books which contained stories about pigs from some classes in case it offended Muslims.

The literature has been removed from classes for under-sevens at Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Headteacher Barbara Harris said the books remained in the school library for children to read.

Sixty per cent of the pupils are of Pakistani or Indian origin and 99% of these are Muslims.

Mrs Harris said in a statement released today: "Recently the headteacher has been aware of an occasion where young Muslim children in a class were read stories about pigs.

"This could have caused offence to religious sensitivities."

Mrs Harris said she sent a memo to staff that fiction books containing pigs should be removed from Early Years and Key Stage One classrooms.

She added: "The books remain in the school library and there is nothing to stop our youngest children having stories such as The Three Little Pigs in small groups.

"The memo made it clear that older children (seven years-plus) can be expected to make informed choice about their reading material and therefore the books remain the same in these classrooms.

"I very much regret that anyone should find this controversial as all we are doing is trying hard, and reasonably successfully, to ensure that all of our children are awarded the respect that all human beings deserve."