Qld: Kids taken from school after student finds poison in toilet

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2006
Qld: Kids taken from school after student finds poison in toilet

By Roberta Mancuso

BRISBANE, Aug 11 AAP - Hundreds of children were taken home from a Brisbane school
today after a suspicious substance was found in a toilet block, only days after rat poison
was planted in a playground.

Classrooms at the Sacred Heart School primary in Sandgate were left almost empty after
a small amount of green pellets, possibly Ratsak, was found by a student in the boys'
toilets about 7.50am (AEST) today.

Only 50 of the 300-strong school population remained at the school in Brisbane's north
after parents were told of the find.

Ratsak was discovered at the Kidspace Playground in the northside suburb of Chermside
on Tuesday after a crudely written note was found on a powerbox in nearby Nundah.

The note told of the poison's location and challenged police to find more poison at
three unspecified Brisbane schools.

Police said there was no evidence the latest find was linked to the Chermside incident,
fearing it could be the work of a copycat.

"At this stage there is no evidence linking this incident with the main offence that
started off this protracted investigation," acting Detective Chief Superintendent Ross
Barnett said.

"However, this incident, as with all others where there is the depositing of poison
in the community, will be thoroughly investigated by the police.

"Police will vigorously pursue any copycat who may be responsible for causing unnecessary
fear and disruption to the community."

Police are yet to charge anyone over the Chermside poisoning scare and have so far
interviewed six adult suspects.

Supt Barnett said the pellets found at the school appeared to be the same as those
found at the Kidspace Playground.

He said the person responsible would have only had a small window of time to plant
the substance in the toilets, with the block locked at 4pm yesterday and reopened at 7am
today.

Those responsible for the incident faced penalties of up to 14 years' jail, he said.

"The mere placing of a substance, if it is a poison, this morning is a very serious
act in its own right, even if it's intended to be a copycat (act)," Supt Barnett said.

Brisbane Catholic Education spokesman Darrin Davies said the school was proud of the
student for notifying teachers of the find.

"We have had a renewed state of vigilance since Tuesday of course, but as part of that
we have alerted children to the dangers of any suspicious substance and that paid off
this morning," he said.

AAP rm/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: POISON NIGHTLEAD

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