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by Eleanor Busby
STAFF at a school targeted by anti-vaccination campaigners have told of receiving “abusive” and violent threats and an “unwelcome” visitor.
David Phillips, head teacher at Chilwell School in Beeston, Nottingham, is making preparations for possible protests outside the school after receiving threatening phone calls, emails and a “poster attack” in just 48 hours.
Mr Phillips said that he had contacted the police and condemned the actions of the anti-vaccination campaigners as “reprehensible.”
On Thursday a government minister insisted that teachers should not face “unacceptable” pressure from anti-vaccination protesters amid the rollout of the Covid-19 jab to children aged between 12 and 15.
Conservative frontbencher Alex Burghart condemned “dreadful anti-vaccination protests” taking place outside schools, which are primarily the sites where vaccines are being offered to children.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has urged campaigners to stop targeting schools amid reports of protesters leafleting students.
Chilwell School pupils were handed campaign leaflets near to the school in the summer term and posters were put up in the car park accusing the school of “treating children like experimental animals.”
Mr Phillips said that incidents involving anti-vaccination campaigners have become “more frequent,” adding that he had “every confidence” that the harassment was not coming from parents or students.
He said a campaigner had walked into the school reception area and handed him what purported to be a “cease and desist” letter while filming the incident.
Mr Phillips said: “In the last 24 hours, I’ve had two abusive and threatening messages — one voicemail message, the other was a phone call into the receptionist who was threatening violence.”
He added that the voicemail had used “obscene language” and mentioned him personally.
Recent guidance from the UK Health Security Agency suggests that head teachers should contact police if they believe protests could be held outside their buildings.
ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton said: “It is a particularly nasty turn of events to hear of threats of harm being made against a school leader and such behaviour is completely unacceptable.
“Most anti-vaccination activity has taken the form of letters threatening schools with legal action and we have recently heard reports of protesters leafleting outside schools.
“This is extremely unhelpful and unsettling and we urge campaigners to stop targeting schools.”