A boy aged 15 has been arrested after claims a schoolgirl was sprayed with bleach as she waited at a bus station in Liverpool.
One schoolgirl said she's 'terrified' to make her own way into school as a result, claiming her friend was 'attacked' with the substance after school.
The parent of a pupil in Lord Derby Academy, on Seel Road, Huyton, said a gang of teenage boys had been targeting schoolchildren. Police confirmed that, at around 3.10pm on Monday, July 10, they were called to reports of a gang of teenagers on bikes spraying children.
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They also confirmed they were called to an incident at 8.15am, on Cavendish Walk, after a girl was sprayed by a gang of teens on bikes, reports The Echo. She was taken to hospital as a precaution. A 15-year-old boy, from Huyton, has since been arrested on suspicion of assault and was taken to hospital for further assessment. He has since been released on conditional bail.
A parent of a child in the school said her daughter is now “terrified” to go to school after her friend had “bleach” thrown over her. They said she was waiting for her daughter to come out of school but she was late because school staff had kept the gates closed while police dealt with the incident.
They said: "She was out later as the school kept the gates closed for a bit as four or five boys on bikes were in the alley next to the school. When they then opened the gate the kids all started to walk down the alleyway and the boys on bikes started throwing bleach.
"My daughter told me one swore at her and told her he would hurt her if she didn’t move. Later on that evening my daughter's friend's mum told me her daughter was standing at the bus station in Huyton and one of these boys poured a bottle of bleach on her head.
"A man who worked in the bus station took her into the toilet to put water on her as the bleach was burning her eyes and face."
They added: “My daughter is only in year seven and these boys seemed to be around 15 or 16. I now have to take my daughter to school as she is terrified.”
Headteacher at Lord Derby Academy, Miss Gowan told the ECHO: "The safety of pupils and staff at Lord Derby Academy is always our number one priority.
"Staff and the police responded quickly to the highly unusual situation which occurred in the local vicinity on 10th July 2023. Leaders will continue to work in partnership with other agencies and our families to keep our school community safe."
A spokesperson from Merseyside Police said that the investigation remains ongoing and one of the bottles seized was tested by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and contained soap and water.
Enquiries are ongoing to find out what substance was used in the other reported incident.
A spokesperson said: "If you saw these incidents or the teenage boys involved and have any information, please contact @MerPolCC quoting log 696 of Monday 7 July. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: Give information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)."
