United Kingdom, May 27 -- Tom Daley had a key to a classroom to escape brutal school bullying.

Some pupils hurled "scissors" at the now-retired Olympic springboard and 10-metre platform diver when he went to school in Plymouth, England, and the torment got "so bad", a teacher gave Tom, 31, a key to their classroom so he could "sit there at lunch time".

He is quoted by the UK magazine Closer as saying: "I would have things thrown at me - scissors, for example.

"It got so bad that one of the teachers gave me a key to their classroom so that I could sit in there at lunch time."

Even though the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist appreciated the help and support from the teacher, he eventually felt "shut in" and was missing out on enjoying ...