Three schoolchildren were taken to hospital after being poisoned when a pupil allegedly added copper sulphate to their water bottles at Lord Williams’s School in Thame, Oxfordshire.
The incident occurred during a science lesson, where the pupil is reported to have deliberately put the coloured chemical into the water after being drawn to its bright blue colour. Copper sulphate is a fungicide and herbicide that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and upper abdominal pain if ingested.
All three children later returned home, according to the Oxford Mail. Headteacher Neil Dimbleby told the newspaper: “Three students stayed in hospital overnight having ingested diluted copper sulphate that had been taken from a laboratory. The police were informed and have been supporting us through this incident. We are pleased to report that the students are all now safely at home.”
A parent of a pupil at the school is reported to have contacted the police following the incident. No one from Thames Valley Police was available to comment when approached by The Independent.
Lord Williams’s School, a co-educational secondary school with academy status, has around 2,200 pupils.
