An autistic five-year-old boy has dropped out of school after being spat at and called a "baby" by bullying schoolmates, his family claim.

Rory Morris finds it difficult to make friends because of his slurred speech and, before starting school regularly, had bouts of violent rage, slamming his head against the floor.

According to his parents, since starting James Dixon Primary School in Anerley the lad, who is registered as autistic, has been spat at by other kids and called names.

The school refused to discuss the case with the press but insisted there was an “open door” for parents to come and discuss their children’s problems.

Rory, who is one of three disabled children in a class of 30, is now "too scared" to go to school and hasn't been back for almost a month, his mum said.

Taylor Morris, 24, of Anerley Road, Anerley, said: "Another child at the school weed in his hands and made him put it in his hair.

"We can't send him back. He is being spat on and being called names.

"The kids call him a baby because he talks like a three year-old."

His parents believe the school’s response is not helping.

Ms Morris said: "The school says we need to move forward and not look back, they want him to go straight back into the classroom."

James Dixon was rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted which said disabled pupils make good progress.

But Rory, who is one of seven disabled kids in Year One, has not attended class for three weeks. The mum and his stepdad, Perry Dunnett, 30, are trying to organise Rory’s move to another school.

Ms Morris added: "We have known he was autistic since he was nine months old, the health visitors told us and the speech therapist.

"Rory couldn't talk until a year ago and had to have speech therapy and you still can't really understand him.

"He wets the bed and often wakes up in the night and has nightmares. He is too scared to go to school.

"He has not been to school for three weeks.

"We want to move him to a specialist provision unit."

Mr Dunnett said a meeting with the school's headteacher was held yesterday (Thursday) but the situation was not resolved and Rory would not be returning because the parents "do not want to cause him any more upset".

Rory will be home-schooled while an alternative place is found for him, Mr Dunnett added.

A spokesperson for the school said: "The school has an excellent SEN provision, including a specialist unit, which aims to ensure that all children's needs are met.

"Children are given bespoke intervention with specific targets to meet their learning challenges.

"We welcome parents to our school and value them as partners in their child's learning so that together we can deliver the best outcomes for our children.

"However we do not discuss individual cases within the public domain but we do have an open door for parents to raise and resolve any concerns they have."