"Schools are desperately worried", says John Dunford of the Secondary Heads Association

The children - aged about 14 and 15 - had apparently shown signs of taking the drug last Friday.

One boy was kept in hospital overnight and the others - four girls and four boys - were released after treatment.

One boy has been suspended.

He has been arrested by the police and questioned about allegedly supplying a controlled drug and has been freed on police bail.

"Worrying"

The chairman of the school governors, Colin Harwood, said the incident was worrying.

"It is a cause for concern. It's a very progressive school and a very happy one and we are saddened that this has happened."

Mr Harwood said he thought the problem of ecstasy-taking was widespread, and that it was through the vigilance of the school and the community that this case had come to light.

"This sort of situation must be happening all the way through the community and through the country as a whole.

"In our local paper, it says that the price of ecstasy is now in the range of pocket money".

Head teachers are very worried about the drugs problem

John Dunford, the general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, says the situation is getting worse.

"It is an increasing problem and schools are desperately worried about it, particularly schools in urban areas, but schools in all areas are worried.

"The price of a wrap of heroin or a pack of ecstasy has come down to pocket money level.

"At least when drugs were expensive there was an artificial barrier," he said.

But children's health researchers report that ecstasy use among young teenagers across the UK is generally very low and that cannabis is the drug which has been taken by more pupils.

Ecstasy is well outside the earnings of most children of this age

David Regis, Schools' Health Education Unit

The Schools' Health Education Unit - a body which carries out research into children's health and social development - says its studies across the UK point to a negligible use of ecstasy among children of 14 and 15.

The group's manager, David Regis, believes the school's problem might be linked to Manchester's strong club culture, and that generally it is very unusual for children of 14 or 15 to have tried ecstasy.

"Ecstasy is well outside the earnings of most children of this age," he said.

Drug use aged 14 and 15

1% have tried ecstasy 20% have tried cannabis 75% -80% think ecstasy is unsafe 35% think cannabis is unsafe.

"It is not on the map for them. They can't afford it and don't have access to it.

"It's most closely associated with older teenagers and people in the twenties taking part in the weekend club culture."

However, Mr Regis said there could be hot spots for drugs.

"It might be that because Manchester is well-known for its club culture, schools there might have more of a problem," he said.

According to figures from the Schools' Health Education Unit, ecstasy use among 14 and 15 year olds is negligible.

A survey conducted in 1999 found that between 75% to 80% of children of that age who filled in a questionnaire thought ecstasy was dangerous.

Many of the remaining group said they had not heard of it. And only one per cent said they had tried it.

The figures for cannabis use are much higher. Twenty per cent of 14 and 15 year olds surveyed said they had tried it. And 35% said it was unsafe.

John Dunford of the Secondary Heads Association says the problems vary across the country and these differences could be masked in national surveys.

"Drug-use varies from one part of the country to another," he said.

"You might get small towns where cannabis is a problem and then inner city estates where it is heroin and ecstasy."