A SCHOOL has joined the craze for coloured wristbands to support good causes with the launch of its own.

Bitterne Park School has this week unveiled its own unique anti-bullying wristband with 1,000 up for grabs.

The must-have accessory, with the words "Bitterne Park School Against Bullying" is already being snapped up by hundreds of youngsters at the 1,350 pupil-school.

Head teacher Susan Trigger hopes the distinctive wristband in the school's colours of green and yellow will send out a message to pupils and parents that bullying will not be tolerated.

"Parents want to be sure that schools will deal with bullying. This is a way of saying loud and clear that we deal with this and we don't ignore it.

"The only way of dealing with it is to speak about it and be proactive. These wristbands empower students to do something about it."

The school insists the wristbands will not make wearers a target of bullies or lead parents to believe that bullying is a major problem at the school.

"The bands are a relevant way of getting the school message across," said Ms Trigger.

"We know there was a high level of interest among students about them.

"It was the pupils way of making a statement about not tolerating bullying. We feel that we have already done a lot of work in school against bullying and this is complementing that.

"The wristbands have a certain market value and cache that makes them a sought after item."

Now Ms Trigger is considering launching a different wristband every year with a powerful message for pupils to wear on their wrist.

Students sitting on the 12 member-school council came up with the idea and a local supplier was found to make them.

Each one costs £1.50 with 50p going to the school council's own fund to be spent on different school projects and charity causes.

IT'S a trend sweeping schools as youngsters attempt to collect as many charitable wristbands as possible. Adults too have joined the craze, with even Prime Minister Tony Blair sporting a white Make Poverty History wristband.

The trend gathered pace last year when Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who overcame cancer, launched a yellow band to raise money for cancer research.

A few months later the government sponsored blue "Beat Bullying" wristbands sold by the child protection charity Kidscape.

Now with the proliferation of wristbands one colour can represent more than one cause, for example:

White - Make Poverty History, Right to Life

Yellow - Livestrong, Support Our Troops

Blue - Anti-bullying, Tsunami Relief, Prostate Cancer, Cleaner Air Campaign.