TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has called on the government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equality education in the school curriculum, as the only way to address homophobic bullying in schools.

Speaking at the TUC's annual LGBT conference in London, he said that schools need to protect their pupils from homophobic bullying, and that promoting LGBT equality in the classroom is the best solution.

“Whereas our schools and colleges have done much to counter racism and sexism, the same cannot be said when it comes to tackling homophobia,” he said.

“Despite some notable exceptions, too many educational establishments are breeding grounds for the worst kind of casual prejudice.”