A general view of the scene in Stathern, Leicestershire, after a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison at a summer camp which led to eight children being taken to hospital. Photo / Getty Images
A general view of the scene in Stathern, Leicestershire, after a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison at a summer camp which led to eight children being taken to hospital. Photo / Getty Images
A pensioner has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning eight children at a Christian summer camp.
Detectives are questioning the 76-year-old man after receiving a report of children feeling unwell at a summer camp in Stathern, Leicestershire, on Sunday.
The children were enjoying a summer camp at Stathern Lodge, ownedby the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, a Christian charity that provides holiday clubs.
Officers were not deployed until Monday, alongside East Midlands Ambulance Service, to treat those affected. Ten ambulances and an air ambulance were in attendance, and eight children were taken to hospital as a precaution. They have all since been discharged.
The suspect was arrested and remains in custody, where he is being held on suspicion of “administering poison/a noxious thing with intent to injure/aggrieve/annoy”.
June Grant, 83, a former bookings secretary at Plungar village hall, said: “I live near the village hall, and there were so many sirens. You could hear the ambulances and police cars whizzing around the village. It was pretty scary, but such good news that the children are okay.”
Another resident who lives near the hall said: “It was pretty chaotic, with emergency workers running around everywhere. I saw a few children in tears as they walked into the hall. It’s like every parent’s worst nightmare, dropping your child at summer camp and then being told they might have been poisoned.”
A triage centre was set up at a nearby village hall, and eight children were taken to hospital as a precaution and have all since been discharged, Leicestershire Police said. Photo / Getty Images
It emerged later on Thursday that the 76-year-old man was arrested in a car park of the Anchor Inn near the village hall. A member of staff at the pub said the “live police investigation has disrupted our sleepy village”.
Another Plungar resident said: “It’s a terrible thing to happen, and like something from a horror story. These kids from underprivileged backgrounds are treated to lovely holidays in the countryside , as an escape from their tough lives, and then are poisoned, allegedly by someone they trusted.”
Stathern Lodge was bought in 2017 by the then trustees of the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, many of whom were also involved with the Dove Cottage Hospice opposite the property.
Pictures showed police cars and vans stationed outside the property and children’s play items in its courtyard.
Assistant Chief Constable James Avery speaks during a press conference at the scene in Stathern, Leicestershire. Photo / Getty Images
Assistant Chief Constable James Avery said: “Following initial assessment, I can confirm that eight children were taken to hospital as a precaution and have since been discharged. Officers have been in contact with the parents and guardians of those children taken to hospital.
“I can confirm that a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious substance. He remains in custody at this time. The investigation is now being led by the East Midlands Specialist Operations Unit major investigation team. This will allow a full and thorough investigation to take place.”
An East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call at 4pm on Monday July 28 to a private address in Plungar, Nottingham. The caller reported a medical emergency.
“We sent a number of resources including four paramedics in ambulance cars, 10 crewed ambulances and responders from the air ambulance were also in attendance. We transported nine patients to Queen’s Medical Centre.”
The force said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) “due to the circumstances of the initial police response”.
An IOPC spokesman said: “We received a conduct referral on Tuesday from Leicestershire Police relating to their handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of a group of children. Our assessment team has examined all available evidence and concluded the matter should be independently investigated by the IOPC.
“The investigation will look at whether there were any breaches of professional behaviour – namely a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities – that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police’s response to what was later declared a critical incident.”
