A north London primary school has sought health and safety advice after a bird of prey bases itself in the children’s play area.
Dame Tipping Primary School has now enforced an outdoor play ban to keep the children safe from the bird, who is thought by the RSPCA to be guarding its nest.
The buzzard attacked multiple villagers over the last few months before becoming ‘highly present’ in the primary school playground, resulting in the children being instructed to stay inside since Easter.
In a recent statement, Havering Council confirmed that ‘buzzards are protected under UK law’, therefore the local authority’s ‘intervention options are very limited’.
A council spokesperson said: ‘Our schools’ health and safety team has provided detailed advice to the academy trust responsible for the school, including the use of legal deterrents and other controls, such as hiring a falconry expert, who may be able to deter the buzzard.’
‘We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution’, they added.
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