COUNTDOWN star Rachel Riley has lashed out at claims ‘girls don’t like hard maths’, saying it is both wrong and damaging.

The former Southend High for Girls pupil highlighted the increasing number of females studying maths at a higher education level as an example of why she disagreed with the claims.

Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh made the controversial comments to MPs earlier this week as part of her role as a Government social mobility adviser.

She said Maths was not a subject girls "tend to fancy", adding: "I just think they don't like it."

But Ms Riley has taken exception to the comments and said on Twitter that perceptions on the subject have changed since her time in education.

She said: “I was the only student in my all girls school doing further maths, then a new head of maths came in.

“In just a couple of years there were 30 girls taking it, and also helping to teach kids from surrounding schools online.

“These comments are damaging and plain wrong.”

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The Institute of Physics (IOP) also criticised the comments made by Ms Birbalsingh, saying it was alarmed.

Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson also called on Ms Birbalsingh to apologise for her remarks.