A Lincolnshire school has banned physical playground games because pupils were copying violent computer games, making playtime too rough.

The ban has been introduced at St John's Primary at Bracebridge Heath near Lincoln.

The ban involves contact playground games like tag and kiss chase. Sports like football or cricket are not part of the ban.

The school said it had introduced non-physical games chosen by pupils.

'Having a laugh'

Headteacher Susan Tuck said: "The children are watching television, they're watching films and they're playing computer games, very often it's the violent element of that they are seeing and hearing.

"That's what they're going to come on to our playground to play, we want to change that picture."

Lincolnshire Education Authority said it was up to individual schools to decide what they allowed at playtime.

But Joe Foote, the play development officer at The Cheeky Monkey's after-school club in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, said contact games should be encouraged.

"All children love to play games, lots of physical running around, having a laugh, falling over.

"Sometimes children do have accidents, that's part and parcel of growing up and achieving."