Raheem Bailey recovering after losing finger, mum says

Raheem Bailey needed to have his finger amputated in April after he injured it on a fence at his school in Abertillery - his mother, Shantal, said her son had been fleeing a playground "attack" at the time.

Speaking previously to the Argus, she said Raheem had suffered "racial and physical abuse" at the secondary school campus of Abertillery Learning Community.

Previously, the school said "the well-being and safety of our pupils and staff remains of paramount importance".

In the weeks since Raheem's injury, a fundraiser set up by Ms Bailey has raised more than £100,000 for a prosthetic finger for her son.

And speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live today earlier today, Thursday, Ms Bailey said the outpouring of public support "means so much".

She said she had told Raheem that well-wishers "feel so much love for you".

She added: "It means a lot, to him and to myself as well".

Speaking about the wider problem of bullying in schools, Ms Bailey told Radio 5 Live she felt responsibility to escape such behaviour should be on alleged bullies, not the children who complain.

"I think the child that’s bullying, either they [should be] excluded more… or there might be some kind of sanction [for the family]," she said.

"It shouldn't be a child that’s been bullied [whose] parents have to take them out of school.

"It shouldn’t be a child that’s coming to school and behaving that’s feeling the pressure."

Raheem Bailey had a finger amputated after an incident at his school. Picture: courtesy of Shantal Bailey

She said schools should be "taking each complaint - no matter how small it is - seriously".

For playground incidents, Ms Bailey said "teachers should be manning the ground [so] that if there a child that’s distressed, they should easily be able to tell".

She also said she was looking into a prosthetic for Raheem's injured hand, and was positive about the future.

"This won't break us," she said.