Last updated at 10:15 22 December 2007

Teachers banned a nine-year-old boy from his class Christmas party because his parents had barred him from RE lessons.

Douglas Stewart was forced to stay at home while his friends received presents from Santa and tucked into ice cream and jelly.

His parents were told he was not welcome at the celebration because they had pulled him out of religious eduction classes earlier in the year.

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Headmaster Ian Davidson said that because the youngster had no interest in religion he could not celebrate the birth of Christ.

Furious mother Dawn Riddell, 38, said yesterday: "I've helped out at the Christmas party before and it's got absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. Douglas was heartbroken he couldn't go. It was cruel."

The boy and his brother Callum, 11, attend Cluny Primary, a council-run school in Buckie, Banffshire.

As the family have no religious beliefs, Miss Riddell had asked for them to be exempt from RE lessons.

But she was stunned when the head called with the news about the party.

She contacted Moray Council to find out its policy on school parties and was told these were non-religious.

After the council spoke to the school, the decision to exclude Douglas was put down to a "misunderstanding".

Callum was allowed to attend his party a few days later and Douglas received a present Santa had left behind.