Excluding children from school because they have head lice may cause anxiety and lead to bullying, according to new research.

The survey of over 200 pupils aged between seven and 12 years found one in 10 had been taunted for having head lice.

Head lice facts

Head lice cannot fly, hop or jump They live on all kinds of hair They are not dangerous Lice are the insects, nits are the empty egg cases of the lice

More than one in six of those surveyed had felt upset by getting the infection and one in ten said it made them feel miserable.

The report found that over a fifth (22%) had taken time off school because of head lice, with 12% taking three days or more off.

But the study - Lousy time in the playground, by Lyclear Creme Rinse - says time of school will not in itself clear the infection, particularly if the source of the infection is from home rather than school.

'Nit nurse'

The report dismisses calls for the return of the school "nit nurse" phased out in the 1990s, saying this approach was often ineffective.

We must explode the myths about head lice

Oliver James, report co-author

The report authors said checking for living lice was best done on wet hair, which was not a practical option for pupils going back into class.

It may take up to 20 minutes to check a child for living lice which would mean it would take up to 10 hours to thoroughly check a class of 30, the report said.

And to be at all effective, inspections would need to be carried out on a regular basis, but nit nurses may only be able to visit once a term, they added.

'Social stigma'

Joint author of the report and clinical psychologist Oliver James said: "Louse infection still carries a heavy social stigma."

"It is strongly associated with an inferior social status - in our imaginations only poor offspring of neglected parents are afflicted.

"It is taken as a sign of dirty, incompetent care. But above all it can be a trigger for bullying of children.

"We must explode the myths about head lice. Anyone with hair, clean or dirty, can be afflicted."