Pair lose fingers climbing gates

Two pupils at a Leicestershire secondary school have lost their fingers after trying to climb over school gates on two separate occasions.

A 15-year-old boy from King Edward VII School in Melton Mowbray severed his finger after catching his ring on metal gates just before Christmas.

A girl, also 15, caught her ring and lost her finger climbing over another gate at the school on 8 January.

The school said pupils had been warned and an investigation was under way.

Locked gates

"Both are new gates which were put up at the end of the summer holidays," said Ray Waring, the school's director of support services.

"They conform to British safety standards and are standard gates with big signs up telling pupils when they will be open and shut."

He added both sets of gates were locked during the day to protect the students.

In both cases, the pupils were trying to leave school when they were supposed to be on site and were wearing rings when the school has a "minimal jewellery policy," said Mr Waring.

After the first incident, notices were sent to tutors, assemblies held and warnings given.

The school has informed the Health and Safety Executive and is conducting a full investigation.

A spokeswoman from Leicestershire County Council said it was working closely with the school to find out exactly what had happened.