A builder-turned-songwriter has slammed his son's school for accusing him of writing an "inappropriate" song about one of its pupils.

Michael Armstrong, 41, from Banstead, said he was left "incredulous" when the Beacon School - a specialist media arts college - telephoned him on Thursday and asked him to come in to explain why he had written a song on his forthcoming album about a girl at the school.

Mr Armstrong said his 12-year-old son Samuel, who is in Year 7 at the school, in Picquets Way, Banstead, had been singing the song - written by his father four years ago - to tease the girl whose surname by coincidence is also the title of the song.

The singer said the song was actually inspired by his Epsom-based manager Lisa Davies but he decided to change her name to the surname of a famous crime writer whose book his parents were reading at the time.

He said: "Samuel can be lively. My son had been singing the song and winding her up in some small way as children do.

"Then I got a phone call from a welfare officer at the school who said ‘we understand you’re a musician and we understand you have written a song.

"'It’s a bit awkward but we have reason to believe it’s about one of our students and is inappropriate'.

"I was incredulous. I told them I wasn’t coming in to speak about my song.

"I knew what they were implying."

"Is this what things are coming to? Censorship?

"The song is certainly not about a young girl I didn’t even know existed until last week."

Mr Armstrong said it was "quite possible" his son could have changed the lyrics of the song when he sang it to the girl - but said this still did not justify the school’s intervention.

He added: "Kids will be kids. I used to sing songs when I was at school and change the lyrics.

"I’ve spoken to my son and he said he will sort himself out."

Mr Armstrong said that when speaking to his wife the next day, the school’s welfare officer admitted he had not really wanted to make the call to her husband.

The builder said: "He said he had felt awkward ringing me and it was a silly situation but they were just doing their job.

"The school haven’t followed it up."

He said he felt offended but "it’s a sad indictment of the time".

"It was such a wild and ridiculous accusation, just bizarre," he added.

The school has refused to comment on what happened.

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Mr Armstrong’s album, Michael Armstrong, is due to be released at the end of next month.

He is on tour with Peter Howarth from The Hollies and will also support 1970s pop icon Leo Sayer later this year.

Got a story? Contact Hardeep Matharu on the newsdesk by calling 020 8722 6346 or emailing hmatharu@london.newsquest.co.uk.