Highcliffe School given ‘all clear’ from drug sniffer dog

A dog search team was deployed there last Friday with pupils from around 20 classrooms having their bags individually sniffed.

Deputy head teacher Matt Downs told the A&T: “It was a deterrent exercise and I’m pleased to say nothing was found.

“Toilets, offices, outside of buildings, lockers, changing rooms and many other spaces were also searched.

“We were given the all clear.”

Mr Downs said that classrooms which contained pupils “nervous” of dogs were not individually searched.

The school has said that the sniffer dog will make a return visit to the school in the future.

Parents and carers were forewarned in a letter about the sniffer dog visit. It said: “Young people today face many new pressures that were not such an issue when we were young.”

Head teacher Patrick Earnshaw said: “In recent months greater prominence has been given in local news items about ‘county lines’ drug dealing networks in the BCP and New Forest areas.

“Partly in response to the growing awareness of county lines activity in our local areas, some schools formed the Hampshire Safe initiative within the New Forest locality and, whilst we were not invited to be part of this initiative, we have had positive feedback from the schools involved.

“One key objective, among several, of this initiative is to promote schools as safe havens free of illegal drugs.

“Following careful consideration of the Hampshire Safe initiative and aware of the increasing pressure some young people in our community might be facing about drugs in our local community, we have decided to increase our own preventative activity at Highcliffe School.

“Consequently, we have arranged for a drugs detection dog to be in school for a day, one day during the next few weeks.

“This is a preventative measure to ensure that our school remains safe, drug free and a healthy environment for all students to learn and develop.”

Sniffer dogs also routinely visit Twynham School in Christchurch, going into classrooms and toilets but finding nothing on their latest search.

Laura Concar, deputy head teacher, said they are invited in as “part of our PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) designed to educate young people about substance use and misuse”.

She added: “We have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from our parents and students following past visits who recognise our commitment to our students’ safety.”