The Government has axed Natasha Devon, who was appointed last August as mental health champion for schools in England. This decision came after she had used a head teachers' conference to stress the level of mental strain being put on pupils by rigorous testing. The Department for Education denied that the role had been cut to silence criticism; rather, an independent NHS report had recommended that a cross-government mental health champion be created. Ms Devon, who was made an MBE last year for her work helping young people conquer mental health and body image issues, said she hoped the new champion would be a positive force for good, but she was 'sceptical'. She had undertaken the role on an unpaid basis, whereas someone in a paid role would be under more pressure to 'toe the party line'. The Government says it is putting £1.4bn into children's mental health, with separate money allocated for peer support schemes in schools.