Pupils from a Dartford grammar school have been excluded after being filmed setting fire to a squirrel.

Videos and pictures have emerged on social media of the Wilmington School for Boys students dropping a brick on the animal and kicking it.

After staff at the school were made aware of the upsetting footage, the teens were handed one-day suspensions and told to carry out community service.

The boys, who are believed to be 14 to 15 years old, claimed the squirrel was dead when they found it.

The RSPCA has condemned the actions of the pupils, saying: “This footage is extremely disturbing and distressing to watch.

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A screenshot of the squirrel | Picture: The Sun

“It is unclear from the footage whether the squirrel is alive or dead during this attack - if it was alive, it would have suffered severely.

“The RSPCA works hard to try to encourage and promote compassion and kindness to animals through its education programs to children and schools across the country.”

Wilmington School for Boys headteacher Donna Lodge backed up the claims that the squirrel was not alive during the attack.

She said: “A thoroughly unpleasant video clip, showing inappropriate behaviour by a group of boys towards a dead squirrel, was brought to our attention.

“The clip, which was uploaded on Instagram, was met with an immediate response from the school. The culprits were identified and interviewed along with their parents.”

She added: “Fixed-term exclusions were applied, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy, and the students have also been made to undertake community service.

“An assembly for the whole year group took place to emphasise expectations and to condemn the behaviour of this minority of students, who will now be closely monitored.”

Kent Police were made aware of the incident but have not received any reports of animal cruelty.