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World Book Day: Boy 'excluded' from school after dressing up as Fifty Shades' Christian Grey

Liam Scholes, 11, went to school holding cables and wearing an eye mask

Daisy Wyatt
Friday 06 March 2015 10:28 GMT
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Liam Scholes, 11, dressed as Christian Grey for World Book Day but was told off by his school
Liam Scholes, 11, dressed as Christian Grey for World Book Day but was told off by his school (Nicola Scholes)

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An 11-year-old boy was excluded from World Book Day celebrations at his school after turning up dressed as Christian Grey.

Liam Scholes, a year seven pupil at Sale High School in Manchester, went to school dressed in a grey suit with slicked black hair, carrying cable ties and an eye mask.

Hi mother, Nicola Scholes, 36, received a call from teachers saying Liam’s Fifty Shades of Grey costume was inappropriate and he would not be allowed to participate in themed events and a class photograph, the Manchester Evening News reported.

Scholes, who works as a primary school teacher, said she could not understand the school’s decision when one of the teachers went dressed as serial killer Dexter.

Scholes said the cables Liam carried were “tiny ones” used for Christmas tress decorations, which “wouldn’t even wrap around his wrists”.

She said that it was her son’s idea to dress up as the BDSM enthusiast from EL James’ best-selling erotic trilogy.

Liam told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It’s the content of the book that people might think is inappropriate, but I went dressed as Christian Grey just for a laugh.”

Scholes added: “Am I such a bad parent because I’ve allowed him to dress up as a character that’s been publicised over every TV channel around the world?”

The Fifty Shades of Grey series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

The film adaptation of the book, which opened in cinemas on 13 February, has become the highest-grossing 18-rated film ever in the UK. It has made over $500m at the worldwide box office already.

Sale High School has yet to comment.

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