The headteacher of Wimbledon College is urging parents to consider boycotting the town centre shops where their children are banned.

Father Adrian Porter has written to all parents hitting out at the "criminalisation" and "alienation" of youngsters, who are forbidden from entering Centre Court shopping centre and many local shops while in uniform.

He wrote: "I am worried that many of our pupils feel they are being unjustly treated simply because they wear a school uniform.

"This alienation and, at its worst, criminalisation of our young people is, in my view, neither good nor just," he went on.

"You may also wish not to lend your custom to shops and malls which blanketly treat young people in this way."

Speaking to the Wimbledon Guardian, Father Porter said: "Some boys inevitably misbehave, but when you talk to them, they say they are dealt with in a blanket way.

"Whole groups are banned from a shop and spoken to in an aggressive way, often by young staff who don't know how to deal with them. This escalates the problem.

"If you happen to be 16, you are treated as a potential troublemaker."

In one incident, a pupil was banned from a shop even when accompanied by a parent, he said.

He added that the negative attitude extends to buses, estimating that 50 per cent of drivers refuse to stop when there is a group of schoolchildren waiting, and that it is common for adults to walk in front of youngsters in the queue.

When shops ask him to pass on orders to his pupils, Father Porter now refuses to do so.

He is also meeting with the police borough commander to discuss the underlying issues.

Chief Superintendent Chris Bourlet said: "From time to time, groups of young people can intimidate people.

"We all have a responsibility to address this issue. But what the shops decide to do is a matter for them."

David Ordman, director of Centre Court, said the ban on pupils began after problems arose from children throwing food around in the restaurant area of the centre.

He said the ban only applied during school hours, and is supported by some other headteachers.

A Transport for London spokesman said: "Bus drivers should stop to pick up passengers if there is room on the bus to accommodate them safely.

"If passengers are not being picked up they should report it to customer services."