A single mother has been excluded from Gloucestershire College for making homophobic comments on her Facebook page.

Lisa Lusty, 33, said she made the homophobic remarks on her social networking page in October in anger after she claims she was being bullied by another student.

But she said her expulsion would leave her unable to support her three-year-old daughter Imogen if she could not finish her qualifications.

Lisa, who was taking a full-time NVQ Level 1 course in hairdressing at the college, said: "I was having problems with someone ever since September. They kept leaving me out and they just used to ignore me and were quite mean.

"I would always be polite to them but it just got to me one day and I wrote something on my Facebook wall.

She said the comments did not say anything about them by name and she was not friends with anyone from college at the time.

"Then I added someone from college a few weeks ago and the next day I was suspended from college. I said it in anger and I am just so upset by it. I am not homophobic, I have lots of friends that are gay, I just did it in anger," she said.

Lisa, of Quedgeley, said she does not think the comments she made should be allowed to affect her academic future.

She said: "I have never been late, I was even student of the month.

"I am a good student and I think it is going over the top to exclude me. It was in rage because the girl was upsetting me and it shouldn't have to come to this. I was allowed to go in just for the day to finish off my course, but I had to be escorted by my head of year and was not allowed to be with anyone else.

"I was planning to do my Level 2 and even Level 3 but if I am excluded then I can't go to any Gloucestershire College sites so I don't have any chance of finishing my course.

"I am trying my best to not take benefits and get a career to provide for my daughter but they are giving me no chance with this."

Peter White, director of customer services and marketing, said the college did not tolerate bullying.

He said: "Gloucestershire College takes bullying of any kind, including cyber bullying, very seriously. We are committed to investigating all complaints of discrimination or harassment, and to taking prompt and appropriate action for the protection of our students.

"In line with our Student Disciplinary Policy, all students who receive a notice of exclusion have the right to appeal to the principal."