Heswall schoolboy in knife threat

Mar 5 2008 by Carrie Catterall, Heswall News

A STEAK knife was used by a primary school boy to threaten other youngsters as they walked to school on Monday morning.

Pupils from Barnston Primary School, Heswall, were shown the knife by the boy in Year Six who said he planned to kill two pupils in Year Five with it.

He said: “If I get angry, I can use the knife.”

The boy then threatened the children he was walking with and said if they told anyone, he would “hurt them bad”.

Teachers were informed by one of the children when they arrived at school and the steak knife was retrieved from the boy’s bag.

He was then excluded for one day.

Parents received a letter that evening from the school saying there had been an incident but no one was hurt and the matter was being dealt with.

A worried parent said: “I contacted the police straight away after my child told me what had happened.

“I am absolutely appalled that this boy was only excluded for one day.

“This means he will be back in the classroom with other children by the end of week.

“The fact that this boy had a premeditated desire to use the knife is very scary and I don’t know what we as parents can do to protect our children.”

A Wirral Council spokesman said: “Wirral Council’s children and young people’s department and Merseyside Police are currently looking into the allegations.

“It would not be appropriate to comment further until those inquiries are completed.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: “We take positive action for all instances of this nature and the matter is being thoroughly investigated.”