A WORCESTER man who threatened to kill two 10-year-old boys who were bullying his son has had the charges withdrawn after agreeing to be bound over.

Father-of-five Joseph Kennedy made the remarks to the children who were fighting with his child but the Crown Prosecution Service accepted that he was using the phrase as a figure of speech.

Magistrates heard that the 33-year-old, of Portefields Road, Tolladine, had been frustrated by the failure of his son's school to take action against the bullying.

"On Thursday, October 12, Mr Kennedy took his children to school," said Kerry Moreton, prosecuting.

"He saw his son in a fight with three other pupils of a similar age."

Kennedy is alleged to have pushed two boys in their chests.

One of the boys said Kennedy looked angry but he did not believe he would do what he threatened and another cried after the incident.

Another witness said the defendant had cautioned them with "if you beat my son up again I will kill you".

"It appears that the boys knew Mr Kennedy was angry and they were frightened but didn't take his threats seriously," said Miss Moreton.

"Sometimes 'I am going to kill you' is a figure of speech and this is what we have here, an explosion of anger."

Magistrates heard teachers at the school in question knew Kennedy had a "volatile temperament" and were in fear of him.

Barry Newton, defending, said his client's behaviour in dealing with the bullying incident had been inappropriate but said it was a "hard task for schools to tackle".

"The two boys mentioned in the charges were suspended by the school and his son wasn't," he added.

"This may speak volumes for the school's assessment for what was going on."

Kennedy was bound over to keep the peace in the sum of £100 for two years.