Warwickshire County Council has halted the use of a transgender guide for schools after parents complained.

The 'Trans Toolkit for Schools', subtitled 'Gender is not just pink and blue', was distributed to schools across the county in January 2018 to offer guidance on how to treat transgender students. 

The 50-page booklet was produced by trans support group Gendered Intelligence and Allsorts Youth Project, and has been used as a resource by other councils, including Birmingham.

But Warwickshire council has now paused the use of the toolkit in its schools and launched a review. 

The decision follows complaints from a local parents group, the Safe Schools Alliance, which is concerned about some of the information contained in the toolkit, including the use of binders. 

"It may be that pupils wash their binders every night at home and this will need to be considered on a residential trip," the document states.

It also covers the use of pronouns and says that schools should "ensure all staff are proactively trained and develop confidence in" areas like trans presentation and the "correct use of pronouns".

A spokesman for the council said: "Trans is an evolving complex area and it was identified that there was a knowledge gap within schools.

"It is our duty to provide schools with guidance to ensure all pupils are able to be themselves and reach their full potential in an inclusive school environment, without fear of judgement and discrimination.

"The toolkit is currently being reviewed in light of feedback to ensure it is as robust as possible for schools to use."