A decade after school bullies drove her son to slash his wrists, Karen Taft is looking forward to the 23-year-old's graduation ceremony. She tells Kerryanne Clancy about her family's ordeal.

EACH week 450,000 children are bullied at school, and it's every parent's nightmare to discover it's one of their children making up this statistic.

For Karen and Colin Taft, from Sneyd Green, it almost cost them their son Simon's life, while their youngest, 18-year-old daughter Sherene, suffered similar problems.

Mum-of-three Karen says: "With Simon it all started in 1997. He had gone to primary school at New Ford in Smallthorne and had been happy enough there, though we knew with him being ginger and not very sporty he could be a target.

"We chose his high school because we'd heard good things about it and, being church members at the time, we thought it would be good for him to go to a church school.

"The first signs were when he started having niggling little illnesses. This then grew into him being sick every time he ate. He ended up in hospital for a week where they ran tests, but said there was nothing physically wrong. At that stage doctors did ask if there was anything up at school and Simon just said no.

"Both Colin and I had asked him about school too, but he just said it was fine. Next, Simon began having problems with his balance. He couldn't stand up without holding onto something.

"We went back to the hospital, but again they said there was nothing physically wrong. In the meantime Simon was having to use a wheelchair. Then we caught him trying to slash his wrists in the dining room.

"It was during this time he revealed to a hospital consultant that there were problems at school.

"Once it had come out he was referred to a psychiatrist and finally talked about everything the bullies had been doing. Even to this day he doesn't talk to us about it all because it was so horrible. All we know is that there were about six boys and girls involved and there was a lot of sexually orientated name-calling, and that had gone on for about two years.

"Colin asked Simon to write a list of the names of the bullies and we took that into the school, but they denied they had a bullying problem.

"As a parent that was really hard to deal with, because you think if you have a problem you talk to the school first and they will help.

"We didn't know where to turn next. Simon wouldn't go to school and Colin refused to let him go. At one stage both Simon and I were taking anti-depressants. Colin just wanted to go down to the school gates and find these kids.

"At the time I was working part-time and Colin was a lorry driver and away a lot of the time, but as a couple it didn't cause problems between us because from the start we said we'd tackle it together.

"After that Simon was home tutored for a while, as the education authority provided a tutor for three hours a week.

"I was horrified that the kids concerned were still getting away with it and felt both angry and tearful.

"I was angry at the school for their lack of help and upset because Simon had such potential. We'd been told he should get good GCSE grades.

"At this stage we'd had our second son, Wesley, down for the same school. He'd already begun to get nervous, so we decided not to send him there. But it was another fight, and eventually a tribunal, to get him into another school.

"Simon then began at Birches Head and the teachers were brilliant. Because of what had happened he began having panic attacks when in a room with lots of people, so they began tutoring him individually and he took his GCSEs in the staff room.

"While I was over the moon when he passed three GCSEs in maths, English and science, I was sad because teachers had said he was an A* student. But he had taught himself computers at home, and went on to do a course at Leek College, where he wouldn't bump into the bullies again.

"With a BTEC he was then able to go to Staffordshire University to do software engineering. When he moved out of home to go there we were worried, but it turned out to be the making of him as he became extroverted again and had fun.

"Then, when Sherene began to have a lot of time off, we immediately knew there was something up. We took her out of school and tutored her at home for the last two years.

"Last year Simon graduated with a BEng in software engineering, and this Thursday he graduates again because he finished a masters and got a distinction.

"Simon always said he didn't want to let the bullies beat him, and that one day he wanted them to come to him for a job. He always had the right mental attitude.

"My advice to other parents would be to fight for your child's right to have a happy childhood, whatever the school or authorities may say."

Simon adds: "Everything's going well now and I'm looking forward to starting my new job. Looking back, it seemed like a constant battle, and although it's a cliche, the key really is to talk to people.

"I didn't initially because I felt guilty with myself for what was happening and because I couldn't stop it. I was scared that if I did say something what the repercussions would be.

"I think I've gained some strength from what I've been through. Now I'm so glad I kept pushing myself and stayed focussed on what I wanted at the end of it."