A STUDENT was airlifted to hospital with minor neck injuries suffered during a game of rugby at Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe.

Paramedics were called to the school when the incident happened during students' lunch break.

A boy in Year 7 suffered neck injuries and was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton by air ambulance as a precaution.

The incident happened last Thursday (March 20) but the County Gazette has just learned of it.

Mark Griffin, head teacher at Kingsmead, said fortunately the injuries were only minor and occurred as a result of a high tackle during the game.

He said: “There was an accident during lunch time with some boys playing rugby and the behaviour was probably a bit rougher than we would have approved of.

“We phoned the ambulance and because the air ambulance was in the area it attended and took him off to hospital in Taunton.

“The boy was out of hospital later than evening and thankfully he suffered no serious injuries so was back in school on Monday.

“If there is any sort of injury to the neck or head area you would phone an ambulance as a precaution.

“The people on duty responded very quickly and the paramedics who attended praised the way our first responder looked after him until he arrived.”