A school staff member has been arrested after a little girl was ‘filmed in the school toilets’.
The mother of the young schoolgirl, 10, said her daughter immediately reported the ‘traumatic’ incident to another member of staff.
The school in Bolton alerted the police, and officers rushed to The Orchards Federation in Farnworth just after 11am on Tuesday.
A message from the school was then sent to parents and carers, according to local reports, confirming that a member of agency staff had been arrested on her second day of working at the school.
The young girl, who is in year six, has since been ‘too scared to go to school’ with the mother describing it as a ‘massive safeguarding failure’.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a woman in her 20s was arrested on suspicion of voyeurism offences and has since been bailed.
The mother of the daughter told Manchester Evening News: ‘Thankfully, my daughter knew this was wrong, left the bathroom and immediately told a member of staff
‘This is beyond unacceptable. A member of staff, even agency, had a phone inside children’s toilets and used it to record a child. That is a massive safeguarding failure.
The school in Bolton alerted the police, and officers rushed to The Orchards Federation in Farnworth just after 11am on Tuesday morning. Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a woman in her 20s was arrested on suspicion of voyeurism offences and has since been bailed
‘I have already kept her home today, following the incident, because I don’t feel the environment is safe. My daughter has said she is too scared to go to school.’
The mother added that she has been told that more absences for her daughter ‘would not be authorised’.
She said that she has been ‘offered no explanation’ and ‘no details of new procedures from the school’.
In the letter to parents, the school said that ‘robust safeguarding measures’ are in place at the school and appropriate procedures have been followed.
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: ‘We are aware that a member of agency staff working at a local school has been arrested.
‘As the matter is subject to a police investigation we are unable to comment further. Both the school and the council have robust safeguarding measures in place and all appropriate procedures have been followed.’
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples from Greater Manchester Police’s Bolton district said: ‘We understand that incidents like this cause significant concern in the community, and we want to reassure the public that this matter has been treated with the utmost seriousness.
‘This was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the community. We remain in contact with the school and parents of the child while officers conduct a thorough investigation.’
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said the forced received reports of reports of ‘a video being taken of a child at a premises at around 11am on Tuesday.
‘A woman in her 20s has been arrested on suspicion of voyeurism and has been bailed pending further enquiries,’ the spokesperson added.
The Orchards Federation includes The Orchards Nursery School, Cherry Tree Primary School and Green Fold School, which are all located in Farnworth.
