Students at a Cheshire school have launched a petition calling on the government to ban the sale of school uniforms in sex shops and from being worn in pornographic videos.

And it has already received the backing of a Macclesfield Broken Cross and Upton ward councillor.

The online petition has been launched by members of the Feminism Group at Sandbach High School.

It calls on the government to make it illegal for school uniforms to be displayed and sold within sex shops to stop the sexualisation of children.

It states: "We also think it is vital for pornography to ban displaying videos where school uniforms are worn as a costume."

Teacher Sarah Maile, the PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic) co-ordinator at the school told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the Sandbach High students often worked on projects and lobbied with other groups across the country but this is something they have done on their own.

The petition currently has 522 signatures, as of publication. (Image - GOV.uk)

"With this particular petition, once we started discussing the issues the more impassioned and angry they became," said Sarah.

"The fact is there is this sexualisation of, in particular young girls, in school uniform in pornography, in sex shops school uniforms are sold as sex costumes which is really, really concerning and it makes the young people feel uncomfortable and sexualised.

"It just perpetuates this idea that it's OK to sexualise children."

She said the girls at the school – which also takes students from nearby Middlewich and Crewe – created the petition themselves.

"They want change. They can't believe that it's legal to have this and I fully support them," said Sarah.

About 40 students are members of the school's Feminist Group and they range in age from 14 to 18.

"They've got a real sense of social justice," said their teacher.

"They're children at the end of the day and the fact that they are having to ask our government to ban this hyper sexualisation of their school clothing is appalling and I'm so proud of them and the school has been so supportive."

Cheshire East councillor James Barber has signed the petition and is urging others to do the same.

Macclesfield Labour Councillor James Barber has publicly backed the petition. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

He re-tweeted the petition saying: "I've signed this important petition because frankly it's disgusting that this is a genuine issue. Many thanks to Sandbach High and all the young people pushing on this important issue."

The Macclesfield councillor, who is the council's young people champion, was recently involved in the launch of the SHOUT campaign – Sexual Harassment, together we can stamp it OUT.

The campaign is targeted at all secondary aged children and young people aged between 11 and 18 as well as parents, carers, schools, colleges and other frontline professionals who work with young people.

The petition organised by students at Sandbach High School can be viewed here.

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