Children as young as eight bring drugs to school in UK

Hundreds of British schoolchildren, some as young as eight, have been caught with drugs on school premises, new figures reveal.

Data from police forces across England and Wales shows Class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine are among the illegal substances seized in more than 2,000 incidents and offences over the last four years.

Teachers described the figures as a “worry”, and “the tip of the iceberg of what young people are encountering on the streets”.

The data, from 34 police forces dating back to 2011, was obtained by the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

Cannabis, the most widely used illegal drug in the UK, was involved in more incidents and offences than any other — 625 — while cocaine was present in 27 cases.

Others confiscated by police included LSD, amphetamines, MDMA and ecstasy. There were two cases each of heroin possession on school premises in the West Midlands, Surrey and Greater Manchester, their police forces said.

Only four incidents involved children under 11.

Greater Manchester Police also reported a 14-year-old caught in possession of heroin with a street value of £500, while a 16-year-old pupil was found with a quantity of heroin worth £330.