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A pupil who had bleach poured into his eyes by bullies while walking home from his Birmingham school had his sight saved because he was wearing glasses.

The pupil, aged 11, was hospitalised following the attack in Birdbrook Road, Great Barr, on September 22 and hasn’t been back to Great Barr School since.

Doctors told his parents he would most likely have lost part of his sight if it wasn’t for the glasses he was wearing.

Police are investigating the incident which took place outside shops in Birdbrook Lane, about a mile away from the school. A shop owner is believed to have intervened in the attack and helped to clean the boy up before he was taken to hospital.

The two attackers, who also attend Great Barr School, are both understood to have been suspended although a school spokesman said he wouldn’t comment on what action had been taken due to confidentiality reasons.

The boy, who had just started his first term at the school, had been walking home with two friends when he was approached by a group of six boys.

The mother of one of the children, who is also aged 11, said: “My son rang me to say his friend had been attacked. I could hear the shouting and the screaming in the background. He said these two boys had approached him. One held him down while the other poured a bottle of bleach, which was in a fizzy drink bottle into his eyes.

“He was taken to hospital. Doctors told his parents that if he hadn’t been wearing glasses at the time he could have lost his sight.

“I have been speaking to his mother. He has been left very traumatised and hasn’t been back to school yet. He is obviously terrified of the boys. He is a lovely quiet boy and for some reason they have singled him out.”

A spokesman for Great Barr School said: “The incident happened outside school time. However, we take incidents such as these very seriously. We have dealt with the incident internally which we are keeping confidential. It is now a police matter.”

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating after a schoolboy had a substance – possibly bleach thrown at him as he walked home from school.

The attack which took place on 22 September at around 3.50pm happened on Birdbrook Road in Great Barr. Fortunately the boy was not seriously hurt.

“Officers are conducting local enquiries and analysing CCTV footage in the area. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Force CID on 101 quoting log 2727 22 September.”