A primary school in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, found itself at the centre of a significant safety alert after a pupil brought an old hand grenade to a show-and-tell assembly. The incident at Osmaston CofE Primary School prompted an immediate evacuation of staff and students, alongside the dispatch of bomb disposal experts to assess the situation.
Headteacher Jeanette Hart recounted the moment when a student produced the World War II-era grenade, describing it as an unexpected twist during the assembly. Initially, another student had shown a bullet case, which had been communicated to her beforehand. However, the arrival of the grenade took her by surprise. “It was quite an eventful assembly… that, I was not expecting,” she remarked in a statement to the BBC.
Mrs Hart acted swiftly upon realising the potential danger posed by the grenade. Unsure whether it was live, she carefully took it from the pupil and placed it behind a substantial tree in the school’s car park while arrangements were made for emergency services to handle the situation. “I ended the assembly, took it off him and slowly carried it outside… I wasn’t 100 percent happy carrying it, to be honest,” she admitted.
Fortunately, army bomb disposal experts later confirmed through X-ray examination that the grenade was safe, alleviating concerns for both staff and students. The police praised the quick actions of the school’s staff, encouraging vigilance in home environments. A spokesperson for the Matlock, Cromford, Wirksworth and Darley Dale Police Safer Neighbourhood Team provided a word of caution to parents and guardians to double-check what their children might bring to show-and-tell, especially if the items are family heirlooms.
In the aftermath, Mrs Hart recounted a conversation with the young boy, who had brought the grenade, noting that it was an entirely innocent mistake. He had discovered the grenade, a family heirloom, and brought it to school without understanding its significance. “His family didn’t know and they were a little taken aback,” she added.
This incident highlights growing concerns about the safety of such items in educational settings. Past occurrences in various schools across the UK reflect a pattern of evacuations prompted by similar discoveries. For instance, a student at Parkside Community School in Chesterfield faced a similar situation when they brought in a grenade, which was later confirmed as decommissioned; the school was allowed to reopen following a thorough investigation.
Moreover, in Macmerry Primary School in East Lothian, grenades unearthed during excavation prompted evacuation, resulting in a controlled explosion taken care of by army officers. These scenarios underscore the importance of education regarding historical memorabilia and the potential dangers they may pose if brought to schools.
In a broader context, such incidents not only test the responsiveness of school emergency protocols but also highlight the need for parental education about the historical items children may come across at home. Awareness campaigns may be necessary to prevent such alarming situations, as illustrated by recent cases across the UK and the impact they have on school communities.
As attention turns to safety measures and educational outreach, the Osmaston situation serves as a reminder of the unexpected challenges schools can face, relying on the vigilance and quick decision-making of their staff to ensure the safety of their students.
Reference Map
- Lead article
- Related incidents in Derbyshire
- Historical context of explosives in schools
- Broader implications and previous examples of similar incidents
Source: Noah Wire Services