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Saturday 8 December 2012

Things That go ‘BOOM’! 11 Year Old Girl Brings Grenade To School For “Show and Tell”.

Students at a Newcastle school have been allowed to return to class, after they were evacuated when an 11-year-old girl brought in a hand grenade for “show and tell”.
The NSW Police Bomb and Rescue Unit left Hunter Christian School, Mayfield, on Wednesday afternoon, declaring the area safe and allowing students back inside.
A NSW Police spokesman said Australian Defence Force personnel had taken the device with them to examine it.


Police said the grenade resembled a World War II “pineapple” and believed it was inactive.
Students and staff were evacuated to a park near the school, on Kerr Street, after the student brought the grenade in to show her classmates about 8.30am, police said.
The year five student showed her teacher the grenade.
“She understood it to be a dummy hand grenade that had been deactivated, there was no firing pin, just the body of the grenade,” Principal Boyd Allen told The Newcastle Herald.
“We understand it was from a family friend and many years old.
“It was heavy, but I assume practice grenades would weigh that much too.”
The girl’s teacher brought the grenade to the head of primary and the two teachers took the device to Mr Allen.
He evacuated the 450 students and 60 teachers to Wests club and called the police.
“I was understandably concerned for the welfare of the students,” he said.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a dummy and I didn’t want to take that chance.”
The police rescue squad cordoned off the school and asked neighbours in surrounding Bull and Kerr Streets to leave their homes. They have also been allowed to return.
Parents have been notified and invited to collect their children if they wish.
Mr Allen said the student was not in trouble.
“She’s bewildered, embarrassed,” he said.
“I tried to make her aware she’s not in trouble.
“She’s a sweet young lady from a lovely family.”
Inspector Gerard Lawson, from Newcastle City Local Area Command, said all students were safe and well.
“I want to warn members of the public that if they have or are aware of military ordnance they should not touch or move it but contact police immediately.”
Hunter Christian School has students from Kindergarten to Year 12, according to its website.

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