The parents of a County Durham schoolboy, who choked to death on a plastic pen top, are stepping up their campaign to get them banned.
Ben Stirland, 13, from Consett, died in January, after swallowing the pen top while doing homework.
His parents vowed to get the tops banned after they said one acted "like a fish hook" when it became lodged in the teenager's throat.
A charity ball on Saturday aims to highlight their campaign.
The youngster's school, Moorside Community Technology College, banned plastic pen tops after the tragedy.
But his parents, Nathalie and David Hodgson, want a wider ban.
Wow, what muppets! We were always told in school to be careful and not put them in your mouth, explained the dangers and why they have the holes on the top.
Why should they be banned just because one person was stupid enough to put one in his mouth and swallow it.
These people dont half make me laugh! Maybe if they had educated their son against the dangers of it, this tragedy wouldnt have happened. By the age of 13, one knows the dangers of pen lids. Thats why they dont use pens in primary schools.
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