A HIGH school was forced to recall 240 leavers’ yearbooks after a 16-year-old pupil indecently exposed himself in a group photograph.

He managed to play the ‘practical joke’ while the picture was being taken for the annual publication for year 11 leavers at Ribblesdale High School in Clitheroe.

But the prank was not spotted until the yearbooks had been given out.

Headteacher Stephen Cox immediately recalled the whole set and took out the offending page before redistributing them to the departing pupils.

Although no copies of the complete yearbook are believed to have left the school premises, the picture with the 16-year-old indecently exposing himself has been circulated on social media.

The pupil and two schoolmates who tweeted the offending section of the picture were called in and disciplined.

Mr Cox said the student now ‘deeply regrets’ his actions and the matter is closed.

Pupils at the 11 to 16 Lancashire County Council secondary school commented on social media.

One said ‘in one fell swoop’ he had achieved ‘legendary status’.

Mr Cox said: "We recalled our school leavers' yearbooks when we realised that a pupil had made an unwise decision to play a practical joke in one of the group shots.

"We removed the relevant page and redistributed the books to the students.

“The pupil involved now realises his prank was ill-conceived and deeply regrets it.

“The issue has been dealt with appropriately and is now closed as far as the school is concerned."

Ribblesdale, along with several other county secondaries, has been distributing the leavers’ yearbooks complete with group photograph for some years.