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Police called to Sandwich Technology School twice in a week as ‘antisocial’ youths target pupils

By: Sam Lennon slennon@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 05:00, 26 March 2024

Updated: 12:04, 26 March 2024

Police have been called to a school twice in one week amid concerns over a group of young people intimidating pupils in the area.

The troublemakers were first acting in “an antisocial manner” outside Sandwich Technology School on Tuesday.

Police have been called to Sandwich Technology School in Deal Road twice in the space of a week

A police presence was then requested at the gates on Friday following reports a young person was planning to get on the site to “commit disorder”.

The secondary’s head teacher, Tracey Savage, has now written to parents saying it is not the only local school that the group is targeting.

Her letter sent yesterday also seeks to dispel some wild and untrue rumours about the incidents, while asking parents to remain calm.

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“I would urge all parents not to believe everything they read on social media, and to remember that students sometimes exaggerate,” she writes.

“This morning [Monday] I received an email from a parent telling me that there have been three incidents of people coming onto the school site with knives in a week. Another parent told me that people with balaclavas on had climbed over the school gates to get into school.

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Sandwich Technology School head teacher Tracey Savage is urging parents to remain calm. Picture: Alan Langley

“Neither of these things are true.”

However, she does confirm there was an incident at the Deal Road site on Tuesday, March 19.

She says: “The problem was not with any student of this school, but external people who have no connection to the school. The police are well aware of this group of people and incidents related to them and are acting to resolve the issue.

“Sandwich Technology School is not the only local school that this group of people are visiting/attempting to intimidate.”

Police told KentOnline that the group had moved on prior to the attendance of officers that afternoon. But shortly afterwards they located and arrested a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of breaching a Community Protection Notice.

Police have been called to Sandwich Technology School in Deal Road twice in the space of a week

She has since been charged with the same offence and is due to appear at Folkestone Youth Court today.

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Ms Savage says that at no point did any “external visitors” enter the school.

“The police responded swiftly and will do so again if required. We are doing everything we can to aid them in their work,” she writes.

“Lockdown procedures were not implemented as it was not necessary, as there was no breach of the school site, and despite the rumours no knives were seen that I am aware of.”

The head teacher goes on to say that on Friday they heard reports from some pupils that “external people” intended to visit the school again.

Tracey Savage, head teacher at Sandwich Tech, says other schools in the area have been targeted by the youths

“This was taken very seriously by both us and the police which is why there was a police presence at the school gates at the end of the day,” she writes.

“This was a preventative measure in order to ensure everyone was safe. However, no such visitors arrived and the day ended without incident.”

A police spokesman confirmed they were called at about 2.40pm on Friday to a report that “a young person external to Sandwich Technology School was planning to attend the school in order to commit disorder”.

They added: “Officers attended as a precaution. The person in question did not attend the location and no offences were committed.”

In order to reassure parents further, Ms Savage concludes her letter by referring to new fencing going up around the school grounds.

“This work is nearly complete and will include a new back gate which will be very difficult for anyone to climb over,” she adds.

“We have very clear emergency procedures and will not take risks with the safety of our students.

“But it is important that we remain calm, do not panic or inflame situations and do not allow the actions of a few external people to intimidate us into being frightened, which is why I have refrained from writing before now.”

It is not known which other schools the group of young people has been targeting.

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