Pupils and parents are complaining about new school rules forcing youngsters to wear colour-coded shirts.

The 1,180 pupils at Cardinal Newman School, Upper Drive, Hove, have to wear different uniforms to identify their separate school years.

Head teacher Peter Evans said it was an excellent policy in such a large school because it enabled staff to immediately identify which pupils were in each year, making it easier for lunch queues, fire drills and maintaining discipline.

Year 7 wears maroon jumpers; Year 8 wears bottle green; Year 9 wears pale blue; Year 10 wears light grey; and Year 11 wears navy blue.

Sixth-formers do not wear uniform.

But the colour code scheme fails during the summer when boys and girls take off their jumpers and walk around the school in white short-sleeve polo shirts.

Now Mr Evans has told parents that from next year the colour code will extend to the polo shirts.

But this has angered a small group of parents who say they will have to buy more expensive coloured shirts each year.

Some pupils are also opposed to wearing the new coloured shirts, which they say look silly.

They are considering starting a petition to get Mr Evans to change his mind.

Teresa Brown, of Rowan Avenue, Hangleton, Hove, has one child, Tom, 13, at the school and his brother, Jimmy, 11, starting in September.

She said: "This seems just like a scheme to raise the profits of the National Schoolwear Centre in Blatchington Road, Hove, where we have to buy all school uniforms.

"You can buy a packet of two good white polo shirts in Primark for around £5, yet we are now being asked to buy a specific colour shirt for £8.75 each from a specific shop.

"The colour code makes it difficult to pass clothes down from child to child. There are several parents with three children at the school who will be forced to pay out a lot extra.

"Surely teachers can identify the children they have being teaching all year without having to have them colour coded."

In response to parents' complaints, Mr Evans has relaxed the rules for next summer, but is insisting the colour scheme is adhered to from that September onwards.

He said: "It could even save parents money as they will not have to buy a summer shirt. The coloured shirts can be worn throughout the year."

At the moment, polo shirts can only be worn in the summer term.

Mr Evans said: "The vast majority of parents are backing me. I have only had four letters from approximately 2,300 parents querying the decision."