Is this another playground disputes that resulted in child arrest for throwing a slice of cucumber from a tuna sandwich at a classmate.

A seven-year-old child who threatened to stab another pupil during a playground spat is being investigated by police.

The boy was arguing with the other child during a break when he was overheard by a teaching assistant.

The headteacher was informed and called 999. But a PC who was dispatched to the school found no knife and the 'victim' unharmed.

The boy and his parents have been spoken to by officers but police have confirmed they are continuing their investigation.

Critics yesterday said Middleton Primary School in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, should have disciplined the pupil rather than wasting police time on the incident.

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'This was completely over the top - children say silly things all the time.

'He should have been disciplined but I would have thought the teachers could have handled this themselves with a few stern words and a detention.

'Really this is just wasting police time, especially when the child has no weapon.'

The argument happened during a lunchtime break last Wednesday at the mixed school, which has around 300 pupils aged between four and 11 and was rated 'good' at its last Ofsted inspection.

Headteacher Kathy McDermott yesterday defended her actions, saying she called officers to the school because she was concerned the pupils would develop a 'fixation with knives' and wanted the behaviour 'nipped in the bud'.

'I called the main police line as I could not find the number for our excellent police community support worker,' she added.

'I wanted her to come in and talk to the parents and children about their behaviour. The children were talking to each other in a very unkind manner.

'We want to make sure they understood the consequences of their conversations before it developed into a possible fixation with knives.'

She added: 'We have spoken to the parents of the children involved and they have been very positive. There will be no further action taken.'

However, she confirmed police had been invited to give a talk at the school about knives on Wednesday next week.

And Cambridgeshire Police refused to rule out taking further action against the boy.

A spokeswoman said: 'An officer attended an incident at Middleton Primary School after allegations that a threat was made by one child to another.

'An investigation is underway and we are in the process of speaking to the parents of the child involved.

'We are working closely with the school and will be giving a talk about the dangers of knives.'

Details emerged less than two weeks after the Government's red-tape tsar said police called to a schoolyard scuffle had to fill in 50 forms.

Jan Berry, the Home Office's senior adviser on police reform, warned the public did not want this level of bureaucracy and such incidents should be dealt with using common sense.

Previous playground disputes which have led to police involvement include a child in Kent who was arrested for throwing a slice of cucumber from a tuna sandwich at a classmate.



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