Kentish Express Ashford & District
Boy excluded for supplying legal highs
tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk A pupil alleged to have supplied legal highs which left three teenagers needing hospital treatment was excluded after offering them to fellow pupils.
In last week’s Kentish Express, we reported how concerned parents had contacted the paper after reports that three schoolgirls, all aged under 16, needed hospital treatment after taking the substances.
A 17-year-old pupil at the Towers School in Kennington, Ashford, is said to have supplied the chemicals after buying them at the new UK Skunkworks shop in Bank Street.
The Faversham Road academy has not commented on the claims, but a source at the school who did not want to be named has confirmed that the youngster was excluded over legal highs.
The action followed an incident that took place on December 19 at around 2pm.
The pupil in question is said to have boasted to two fellow pupils, one male and one female, that he was in possession of legal highs, suggesting that the group should leave school to take them.
The incident was reported to members of staff, who our source says were already aware of the pupil’s alleged involvement in legal highs, including supplying the three young girls.
Ashford town centre chief Cllr Graham Galpin has confirmed that Ashford Borough Council is now involved in a multi-agency group that is looking into the issue of research chemicals.
And police are liaising with schools in the borough over their potential dangers, following a number of incidents involving legal highs.
A spokesman for the force said: “Kent Police is aware of a number of incidents involving New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) in the Ashford area, which is why we’re working with schools to raise awareness of the dangers.
“Police drugs liaison officer Jeff Treadwell met with a local councillor and member of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) last week.
“As a result of the meeting, the CSP will be contacting schools to co-ordinate the spread of information about these substances as soon as possible.
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“The important message is that just because you can buy something legally, does not mean that it is safe for human consumption.
“By working with schools to raise awareness we are trying to prevent harm caused by experimentation and curiosity that could lead to long-term, lifechanging effects.
“The vast majority of NPSs have never been researched in the normal way a chemical substance for human consumption has to be. You take great risks if you ingest anything that has not been tested or that is not for human consumption.”
UK Skunkworks has refused to comment on its involvement with the episode.