Google says move is to prevent ‘unhelpful or prank reviews’, after petition by Merseyside deputy headteacher

Google has agreed to remove all user comments and ratings of UK and Irish schools from Google Maps, after a petition organised by a Merseyside teacher.

The decision means thousands of often spiteful and outdated online reviews and star ratings left by Google users about primary and secondary schools will shortly disappear – including one-star reviews of Eton college labelling it “horrible”.