The girls decided to carry out the prank after teacher Jayne Morgan had disciplined one of them.

The pupil brought crushed red pepper from home and grabbed her teacher’s soft drink can when she had a chance.

Another distracted Ms Morgan while the third poured the substance in, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

When she began to drink, Ms Morgan started choking and became short of breath. She poured the drink into a clear cup, finding it had been laced with pepper flakes.

The trio are charged with poisoning and tampering with a consumer product.