Pupil poison attempt denied

A MAN yesterday denied trying to poison pupils at a top public school.

Maxwell Cook, a kitchen porter at Stowe School, was arrested in March after carrot and coriander soup due to be served to students was found to be laced with a poisonous cleaning product.

Police said the sanitising destainer was added to soup prepared for service at the £27,000-a-year (€33,000) school on March 11. At the time the school said the substance was noticed during routine tasting.

Cook, 57, from Syresham, Brackley, Northamptonshire, yesterday denied attempting to administer poison with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy, at Aylesbury Crown Court.