A pitch fork, an open blade razor and air guns are among the potentially deadly weapons seized at schools in Fife over the last three years, an investigation has discovered.
Figures obtained using Freedom of Information legislation show that primary school children are among those to have been caught with an alarming array of dangerous implements.
Police have confiscated the items from primary and secondary schools and playgrounds, and on a number of occasions pupils have been charged or reported to the children’s panel.
Statistics reveal that knives were confiscated by police 16 times in the past three years up to the end of August.
Sharp objects were also confiscated eight times with other incidents involving bottles (2); screwdrivers (2); metal poles/bars (3); scissors (1); air guns (2); pitch fork (1); bricks (2); pieces of wood (3); open blade razor (1) and aerosol (1).
In all there were 13 reports in 2010 resulting in 20 charges; 22 reports in 2011 involving 28 charges and in 2012 up to August 31 there were just four reports resulting in four recorded charges.
Some of these incidents were in school grounds outwith school hours.
Burntisland parents Alan and Tina McLean, who recently established a ”Ditch the Knife and Cherish Life” anti-knife campaign following the death of their son Barry (27) from a single knife wound in May last year, said they were ”shocked” to read the ”unbelievable” statistics.
Mr McLean said: ”Children need to know from an early age that we all have a choice in life to do things right or wrong and if someone chooses to do something wrong then unfortunately there are consequences, but the impact is immense on the victims and will destroy so many lives.”
Former head teacher Lindsay Roy, now MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, welcomed the fact that the number of incidents recorded this year to date showed a marked decrease.
He said: ”It would appear that education programmes are working, because there is a big reduction so far this year. All school staff take a robust approach to the health and safety of pupils.
“It is through their vigilance that the rare presence of offensive weapons in our schools is normally discovered and rigorous action taken before things can escalate.”
Fife Council education spokesman Bryan Poole said: ”Thankfully incidents involving weapons are rare but when they do occur I’m confident that our head teachers take the necessary and appropriate action.”