Secondary school installs ‘US-style metal detectors’ at all the entrances after pupils were found with blades in class
Special needs school in Dover decided to take action when homemade weapons were sneaked onto the site by students
A SCHOOL has installed metal detectors at all the entrances to search pupils after homemade weapons were found on the premises.
Harbour Specialist School in Dover decided to use the “US-style system” after weapons made by inserting blades from pencil sharpeners into the barrels of pens were “sneaked” into the site.
In a letter to parents, head teacher Juli Timoney said pupils had been “making gadgets at home which could be classed as weapons”.
“We have purchased some hand-held metal detectors and we will use these to search pupils for metal objects if we have reasonable grounds to suspect that a pupil has brought in a prohibited item into school,” the letter read.
related stories
Timoney added: “A few pupils were found bringing these gadgets into school, No other pupils were involved or harmed.
“Our top priority is to keep the children safe so we asked the police for advice.”
The special needs school was alerted after a student was overheard saying they had one of the “weapons” in their bag.
Kent Police were invited to the site in Elms Vale Road to speak to secondary school pupils about the dangers of knife crime.