PUPILS are beating the bullies, as more Liverpool schoolchildren than ever point out the culprits.

A leaked report from the city council also revealed that in most cases the bullying stopped when the incidents were reported.

The figures show bullying in Liverpool schools continued to tumble.

But the annual council audit of pupils aged five to 19 also reveals a record number of victims staying at home because they were too scared to face school.

Today education officials and the Liverpool Echo-backed anti-bullying charity Bullybusters welcomed the reduction, but in bullying.

However, they conceded work was still needed to tackle the problem.

The audit shows that bullying victims dropped from 28% to 26% in the past year.

Encouragingly, a record 81% of bullied pupils – 3% up on last year – reported the problem, with seven out of 10 saying the bullying stopped after they told someone.

But the audit, to be published later this week, shows the number of victims staying off school has shot up from 29% to 42% since last year.

More than one in 10 victims were kept off for at least two weeks.

Today ECHO-backed anti-bullying charity Bullybusters said equally worrying was the finding that only 13% of victims’ parents admitted that they were keeping their children off due to bullying.

Excuses given ranged from a doctor’s appointment to a missed bus.