Knife seized from child’s schoolbag at Bristol primary school

A knife has been seized from a child’s bag after it was brought into a Bristol primary school. Staff at Whitehall Primary School responded to reports from students that a child had a knife in their bag on Tuesday (May 31).

According to the school’s principal, Tom Burton, staff responded quickly and asked the child to remove the knife from the bag. The child handed the small vegetable knife over to school staff who then confiscated the item.

Bristol City Council, Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol Safeguarding Team have been informed of the incident. No one was injured, but school officials have vowed to “handle this matter sensitively and protect all children involved and avoid further harm.”

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Parents and guardians were initially informed of the incident by text message on Tuesday afternoon, with Mr Burton now sending a letter home to clarify what happened. He aimed to reassure parents and guardians that “all appropriate measures have been taken to ensure children and staff are safe”.

He said: “The children reported to staff that one child said he had a knife in his bag. Staff responded quickly and asked the child to remove the knife from her bag and hand it over, which she did.

“The knife was a small vegetable knife, typical of what was found in most kitchen drawers. The matter was immediately reported to the Police and Local Authority who we have been working with ever since to deal with this matter sensitively and to protect all children. involved and to avoid further injury.

“While no one was injured, we are very aware of the distress this has caused the children and families in our community.

“We take this issue very seriously. We have spoken to the whole (year group) about this situation and are organizing appropriate support for all children who have been affected.

“We would also like to reach out to parents, carers and our wider community to work with us to keep young people safe. We know that young people’s family, friends and carers are almost always the first people to notice that a young person is at risk of carrying knives or guns.”

Avon and Somerset Police have been contacted for further comment.