School children aged four and five “pepper sprayed” by police officer in classroom demo accident

Eight pupils aged four and five suffered the effects of being “pepper sprayed” in the classroom after a police demonstration went wrong.

Instead of squirting the children with harmless water from a mock cannister, a police officer accidentally used a real one containing Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide (PAVA) – a potent chemical that can cause severe eye pain.

The accident happened at Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargoed, near Bargoed, on Wednesday.

A Gwent Police spokesperson said: “On Wednesday November 5, a Gwent Schools Liaison Officer was delivering a lesson to pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargoed.

“As part of the lesson, equipment that police officers use is demonstrated. This includes a mock PAVA spray, which is usually filled with water, genuine PAVA sprays are not taken into schools. On this occasion a genuine PAVA spray was picked up in error, therefore, whilst undertaking the lesson and demonstrating the equipment, the spray was discharged in the classroom.

“This resulted in eight pupils, age between 4 and 5, being affected by the PAVA spray.

“The pupils were cared for by school staff, and their parents were informed. Parents were contacted by a senior officer to explain what happened, discuss any concerns and offer our sincere apologies. Medical treatment wasn’t required on the day, however, parents were advised to seek medical attention if they had any concerns.

“Further enquiries into the error are now being undertaken, and a result of the incident, School Liaison Officers will no longer be taking any demonstration mock PAVA spray into schools.”

A spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council and Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargoed, said: “This was obviously an unfortunate accident and we gather that Gwent Police are undertaking their own investigation. Our main priority was the health and welfare of the children and swift steps were taken to ensure the pupils were removed from the classroom. Appropriate support was provided, and thankfully there were no serious injuries.”