Hunt hounds roam through village school grounds with pupils on the playground

A Vale of Belvoir primary school headteacher contacted police after a pack of hunting hounds roamed through the playground while some of the children were outside playing.
Hunting hounds EMN-220802-182245001Hunting hounds EMN-220802-182245001
Hunting hounds EMN-220802-182245001

Simon Paramore praised his staff at Kinoulton Primary School for keeping pupils safe during the incident, which happened yesterday (Monday) lunchtime.

Mr Paramore emailed parents to explain what happened with children likely to be ‘talking about dogs’ on the playground.

In the email, seen by the Melton Times, he reassured parents and wrote ‘hunt organisers sent their sincere apologies and assured us that this will never happen again’.

A parent, who declined to be named, confirmed that some of the children were outside in the playground when the hounds roamed through the school grounds.

It is understood that a trail hunt was in progress, where a scent is laid and the dogs follow it, but there was no intention for the school land to be part of the course being hunted.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We would like to reassure everyone that we have spoken with the school and made them aware that officers have spoken with the owners of the dogs to resolve the issue and make sure it never happens again.”

Villagers have also reported that the hounds also entered private gardens during the time they were on the trail hunt.

Caroline Adkin posted on the Facebook group ‘Kinoulton News’: “I had 12 of them come over the fence at the rear of my garden, spent around 10 mins running around.

“They also climbed over the fence, bending it on their way into my neighbour’s garden.

“I contacted the hunt straight away but they weren’t very apologetic and said they would let the master know.”

Another villager, Victoria Dodge, was shocked to see a hunt rider trotting down the Grantham Canal towpath while she was walking there with her son.

She told the Melton Times she was concerned for the safety of elderly people and children who regularly used the narrow route if hunt riders were freely using it.

by George Icke