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- Schoolchildren fled in terror today as an ex-pupil sprayed
them with CS gas in the school corridor.
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- Sixteen children between 13 and 15-years-old were taken
to hospital and a further 54 youngsters and one teacher were treated at
Childwall Comprehensive School in Liverpool, where two special medical
aid teams were sent in to aid victims.
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- The school's thousand pupils were immediately evacuated,
but the perpetrator escaped in the confusion.
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- All the children have now been released from Alder Hey
Children's Hospital.
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- A spokesman for the ambulance service said sypmtoms of
victims included breathing difficulties, tightness of the chest and streaming
eyes.
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- A motive for the attack has not yet been established
and detectives were searching for an ex-pupil who left two years ago.
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- Lyndon McLean, whose daughter Claire, 14, was affected
said: "I did not know what to feel when I heard the news. All I was
told was there had been an incident at the school, but we didn't know what
it was.
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- "It is so worrying that somebody is able to get
into the school and do something like this. How can people get hold of
a cannister of CS gas."
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- Daughter Claire added: "I was so frightened and
some people were really panicking. It was itching and I had a headache.
They gave me oxygen and took my blood pressure. The doctors were really
nice."
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- Six ambulances were sent to the secondary school at the
peak of the incident, along with teams of senior doctors and nurses from
Alder Hey Hospital and the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
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- Four ambulances remained on standby while victims were
treated at the scene. All have now left the school.
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- An ambulance spokesman said: "A medical aid team
was sent to the school. We took 16 to hospital and 55 were treated at the
school, one of whom was a teacher. None of the children have been detained
in hospital.
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- "The symptoms are similar to those that would be
expected with CS gas. Although the incident was not life threatening it
caused severe discomfort to many pupils who had a very frightening experience."
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- Headteacher Dewi Phillips said: "I cannot believe
anyone would behave in this way, but at least it has been dealt with quickly
and safely.
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- "We believe he got in with a thousand pupils entering
the building this morning. He got into a corridor released the spray in
seconds. We immediately evacuated and called the emergency services."
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- He added the school was already extending an identity
card scheme for teachers to sixth formers within the next term.
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- A police spokesman added: "A named ex-pupil has
entered the school this morning and sprayed a number of pupils with a noxious
substance that the school believe to be CS gas.
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- "The suspect has not been apprehended and had cleared
the scene before officers arrived."
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