Police warn Rolf after he’s caught in a school
ROLF Harris yesterday received a police warning after he wandered into the grounds of a primary school and waved at children.
The paedophile, 88, who was freed from jail in 2017, now faces an investigation by probation chiefs.
The Australian artist and former children’s entertainer entered the school grounds close to his home on Tuesday afternoon. He smiled and waved to children in a classroom yards away as he struck up a conversation with a sculptor carving tree trunks into artworks.
The school’s shocked headmaster hurried out and told him to leave – and also called police.
Harris, a TV star for decades, lost his career and reputation when he was jailed for more than five years in 2014 for indecently assaulting teenage girls.
Since his early release in 2017 he has been expected to be on good behaviour. The incident on Tuesday led to the paedophile being spoken to by police.
It is understood that Harris is not expressly forbidden from visiting schools, but he was given firm words of advice suggesting he should avoid them in future. Harris and his family refused to comment yesterday as they left his
‘Headmaster told him to leave’
house in Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Sculptor Nick Garnett had been using a chainsaw to create figures at Oldfield School in Bray.
Harris approached Mr Garnett with a broad smile on his face. Headmaster Richard Jarrett said: ‘Rolf Harris must have seen him [the sculptor] and come into the school area. He had no access to the children whatsoever. I went over and shook his hand and introduced myself. He explained what he was doing – that he was getting some wood from the sculptor. I said, “You need to go.”’
Mr Jarrett said he rang police ‘because I think it’s something they should know about’.
A shocked passer-by caught grinning Harris on camera. He said: ‘I could not believe what I was seeing. A convicted paedophile should not be in the grounds of a primary school. He was waving at the children through the window. They were waving back and clearly had no idea who he was.’ Harry Fletcher, of the Victims’ Rights Campaign, said: ‘It really should be a condition of Harris’s parole that he must not associate with children under 16 – if it’s not, it’s a scandal.
‘If he has breached such a condition... there should be serious consideration of him being returned to jail to complete his sentence.’
A police spokesman said: ‘No arrests were made and advice has been given to the man involved.’
It is understood the Probation Service has launched an inquiry.
Neighbours said Harris meant no harm and simply wanted offcuts of wood to make sculptures.