Pupils in Wandsworth are 33 times more likely to be permanently excluded than those in Middlesbrough, according to figures from schools minister Stephen Timms.
The London borough is top of the exclusions league - its schools expelled one in 300 pupils in 1999-2000. By comparison, Middlesbrough excluded one in 10,000.
Twelve local authorities, all urban, exclude more than one in 500 pupils. However, not all urban authorities have high exclusion rates. Knowsley, Gateshead and Southampton are among the 12 least likely to exclude.