'Text bullies' face expulsion

School bullies who use mobile phone text messages to terrorise their victims face being expelled, the Government warned today.

New guidance on bullying is being offered to teachers in England at the start of term next month which will explicitly recognise "text bullying" for the first time, said the Department for Education and Skills.

Victims will be told to keep the message or a record of what it said as evidence, along with information which would enable the school to trace the originator. Mobile phone operators will also offer to change children's numbers free of charge if it can be shown they are being bullied.

Statistics from children's charity NCH published earlier this year showed a quarter of young people had been threatened via their computer or mobile, and 16 per cent had been bullied by text message.