Man drags giant cross to Dunblane. Primary.

ARRESTED: Salesman said he wanted to pray for victims of shooting

A man has spent more than 24 hours in custody, after turning up at Dunblane Primary School with a 12ft by 6ft wooden cross – saying he wanted to pray for the victims of the 1996 shootings.

Richard Champion was arrested near Dunblane Cathedral on Wednesday afternoon and charged with using threatening and abusive behaviour, apparently after staff at the school called police.

The 55-year-old salesman, from Crawley, Sussex, was liberated on the orders of the procurator fiscal from the cells at Stirling Sheriff Court at 4.30pm yesterday.

He did not appear in court and said he was “mystified” by what had taken place.

Mr Champion, who insists he had done no wrong, said he arrived in Dunblane on Wednesday afternoon and went to the primary school to pray for reconciliation and forgiveness.

The father-of-two, who also attended the Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden Park on Sunday, is in Scotland for a oneman “Grace Walk” with his 56lb, custom-built African hardwood cross.

He said: “I didn’t have an appointment but I asked if I could pray on the ground at the school.

“The receptionist very politely suggested I left some leaflets I had with me and went down to the cathedral, which I did. It was all very calm on both sides. I was outside the cathedral when the police turned up.

“I still don’t know what it is I am accused of doing.”

Mr Champion returned to Dunblane after his release and posed with his cross outside the town’s Catholic church, before continuing his tour of Scotland and northern England.

As well as Dunblane and Hampden Park, he has also visited Thurso and Inverness.

He said he had earlier declined to sign a bail undertaking and was released unconditionally on the fiscal’s orders.

He said his next stop was Middlesbrough, in north east England.

Mr Champion’s solicitor Frazer McCready said last night: “He strenuously denies any wrong-doing.”

Gunman Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and their teacher at the school on March 13 1996.

Picture: CSNA. Richard Champion was arrested when he turned up with his wooden cross.