Children had a freezing walk home after a school confiscated their coats because they were not official uniform.

Last night, John and Shirley Cooper said they were outraged King Alfred’s Sports and Community College, in Wantage, had not let their son Sean, 14, have the coat back to go home.

The school confiscated the coats of four other children on Tuesday.

Sean had to walk half a mile to his home in Dean Butler Close without his plain black hooded windcheater.

He said: “I was so cold I was shivering. I only had a polo shirt underneath my jumper and had worn my coat to keep me warmer.”

Vice principal Simon Spiers said the college, awarded Foundation status two years ago, had introduced a King Alfred’s coat as part of its uniform three years ago.

He said: “From September last year the school decided that when a child broke the coat rule it was down to the parents to collect the coat.”

Mr Spiers confirmed five students had turned up wearing incorrect coats.

Mr Cooper said: “The college allowed a child, who had a coat, to walk home in close to sub-zero temperatures without his coat.

“Policy or not, it does not give the college the right to take a coat from a child and make that child walk home in extremely cold conditions.”

Sean, who goes to the west site in Challow Road, was asked by the student manager why he did not have the £20 college coat – introduced for Years Seven to 10.

Mr Cooper said: “We got a call just before 9am. We explained that he had a coat and why we hadn’t bought him a college coat.

“She said she would check and ring back. She didn’t and we were not aware that Sean would have to walk home without his coat.”

Mr Spiers said the college was concerned about the welfare of its 1,200 students. He said: “We would be concerned with any parent that sends their child to college, knowing they are breaking the rules. There have been previous communications regarding the issue of the college coat, and the current policy has already been made clear after previous incidents.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith added: “Schools determine their own clothing codes.”

Met Office spokesman Luke Simpson said: “Between 3pm and 4pm on Tuesday, temperatures were no more than one degree.”