A HEADTEACHER has dismissed claims her school has a knife problem as “malicious accusations.”

This week, people have taken to social media and county radio with allegations that children at De La Salle School, a catholic school in Ghyllgrove, Basildon, were carrying knives and being suspended for it. 

The first allegation came on Facebook’s Basildon Exposed forum, where one user claimed her nephew was chased by someone wielding a blade outside the school gates on Tuesday. 

She said the school refused to help because the alleged incident took place outside the school gates. 

The Echo contacted the user for comment but received no response. 

The second allegation, which appeared on a live regional radio phone in yesterday morning, came from a man  claiming to be the partner of a teacher at the school.

He told one presenter that children, who were carrying knives at the school, had recently been suspended - fuelling further frustration for the headteacher, Catherine Burnett.

But Mrs Burnett issued a statement dismissing the accusations as false and reassured parents the school is a safe place to learn. 

She said:“Contrary to claims on social media, we have not had a problem with knives or weapons of any description being brought into school this week.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students is of paramount importance and on the rare occasions there are any instances of misbehaviour at the school they are taken extremely seriously.

“It is a shame that people have been using social media to spread false and malicious accusations about the school, which risk overshadowing the excellent work going on here each and every day.

“De La Salle School is and remains a fantastic, safe place for students to learn.”

She added the radio station has already apologised with a public notice set to be released tomorrow.

She said: “The school has been in touch with (the radio station) regarding the information from the interview this morning.  

“They have apologised and a retraction will be made tomorrow.”

The Echo originally published an incorrect image with this story. This has now been changed and we apologise for the error.