Officers arrived on the scene at the end of the school day after teachers reported two women having a ‘full on fight’ in front of terrified pupils, who are aged three to seven.
Police separated the mothers who were trading punches and using ‘disgusting language’, according to witnesses. However, the violence spiralled as parents who had gathered at the gates to pick up their children joined in the argument. It is not known what they were fighting about.
When a man became violent outside the school, officers were forced to use CS spray to restrain him. An unnamed man was arrested at the scene.
One parent of Penryn Infant School in Cornwall said the incident last week left her child too afraid to attend classes.
She said: ‘As the children came out these people started fighting and the language was disgusting.
‘It was horrible. The children were all stunned, diving to their mums’ sides.
‘School should be the safest place for kids to go and seeing it happen there was unbelievable.
‘We were all shaking and I was in tears when I got home. Lots of other mums said their children were too upset and having nightmares to go back the next day.’
A sen’ started ‘behaving in a disorderly way’.
Officers used captor spray, a pepper-based CS spray, to subdue a man who was allegedly assaulting a pupil’s mother.
Police Constable Jules Evans said: ‘We went to prevent a breach of the peace but the male involved would not heed advice and became very aggressive and assaulted another parent.
‘As a result of his behaviour we were forced to use the spray and physically restrain him.’
Officers visited the school again the following day. PC Evans said: ‘The police spend a lot of time ensuring children feel safe approaching us and we felt it was important we get back to the school to reassure children and parents.’
Headteacher Gillian Wright said she was ‘disgusted’ by the incident.
She said: ‘Children who are very young have witnessed something they never should have.
That behaviour should never have happened.
‘Safety and happiness are the most important things for children at the school.’
‘Safety and happiness are the most important things for children at the school.’
She said the parents involved had been banned from both the infant school and neighbouring junior school sites until the end of the July term.
She added that police were right to use pepper spray to break up the fight.
She said: ‘They dealt with it quickly and could not have done it any more efficiently. If I had to call the police and wait for them to arrive it could have been so much worse.’
The arrested man was released on bail without charge pending inquiries.
