The National Education Union (NEU) has suspended a branch officer for saying it was better for a child to be stabbed at school than for knife detecting arches to be installed.

Kash Malik, Redbridge National Education Union joint divisional secretary, made the comments to Tes after similar remarks in a local newspaper.

Mr Malik said: “People think once they have put up arches they have done their bit, but they haven’t - it just normalises the carrying of knives and people think they can carry a knife, just not at school.

“Better one child is stabbed if there are no arches than that society accepts carrying knives outside school.”

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He felt that arches and wands could make it less likely that stabbings would take place in schools, but increase the number of incidents elsewhere as more knives were carried.

The NEU spokesperson said: “The National Education Union categorically rejects and does not condone the comments made by Kash Mallick on knife crime.  

“The national officers of the union have taken the decision to immediately suspend him from his position as local officer while we investigate his comments.”