Police vow '˜robust action' against violent school children

Dozens of knives, BB guns, a metal bar, razor, knuckle- duster, dart, screwdriver, saw and CS gas have been taken from pupils in South Yorkshire schools.

There were 67 offenders identified – one aged just 10, three aged 11, 16 aged 12, 24 aged 13, 11 aged 14 and 12 aged 15.

A total of 68 weapons were found in schools in five years from 2011 to 2015.

The Freedom of Information figures also reveal there were 160 attacks and racially or aggravated assaults on teachers in five years.

The statistics reveal there were 29 offences in 2015, 50 in 2014, 28 in 2013, 29 in 2012 and 24 in 2011.

The breakdown of police figures reveal 99 incidents involved pupils who punched teachers, 33 children who kicked them and 15 who headbutted them.

Five incidents involved pupils biting teachers, three involved furniture being hurled at them and one attack involved a wooden bat.

The attacks on teachers resulted in 26 pupils being charged with offences and 29 receiving police cautions.

Others were dealt with under the restorative justice scheme, where victims agree for offenders to be dealt with in the community to avoid them receiving official police records.

Three primary school pupils avoided action because they were under the age of criminal responsibility.

Superintendent Colin McFarlane, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “It is unacceptable that any individual, regardless of their age, is carrying a weapon or worse, using a weapon to cause harm to another person.

“We will take robust action against any individual who is engaging in violent crime or carrying a weapon, and we work closely with schools across South Yorkshire to address any emerging issues and to help educate our young people about the dangers of carrying weapons.”