Dunblane tragedy prompts call for school security funds

A government working group has called for substantial extra funding for school security as a result of the Dunblane tragedy.

The group's report will be sent to Gillian Shephard, the Secretary of State for Education, within the next week.

Police, teachers' unions, local authorities and government officials sat on the group set up after a London head teacher, Philip Lawrence, was stabbed to death outside his north London school in December.

However, their report was updated after the deaths of 16 pupils and a teacher in last month's shooting incident. It now says that more money should be made available.

The final report says there should be "real additional funds made available to ensure that security priorities can be addressed without further squeezing school budgets".

The report will not give a figure for how much money the group feels would be needed, but teachers' organisations will use its recommendation to press for the tens of millions necessary for improvements such as secure fencing and closed- circuit cameras.

Parents' groups argued that the report does not go far enough, saying schools should be guaranteed extra money immediately. The National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations will debate the issue at its annual conference today in Elstree, Hertfordshire.

The funding call came as security at a large comprehensive was being reviewed after an intruder grabbed and indecently assaulted a 12-year- old girl yesterday. The assault was in an annexe of the 1,628-pupil William de Ferrers School at South Woodham Ferrers, near Chelmsford, Essex, as the pupil rushed between lessons.

Detectives examined video tape from a security camera in the school to see if the intruder was pictured.