Councillor blasts bosses over shock outbreak of fleas at Louth school

Lacey Gardens Junior Academy, which teachers more than 300 pupils, aged seven to 11, was forced to shut its doors and send children and staff home for more than a day last week after the outbreak.

The school comes under the LaceyField banner and is run by the Barnsley-based Wellspring Academy Trust, which also closed its sister establishment, Eastfield Infants and Nursery Academy, while professional pest-control experts moved in.

However, Coun David Moore, who represents the St Margaret’s ward on Louth Town Council, is not happy that youngsters and staff were put at risk.

"You don’t get flea infestations overnight,” Coun Moore blasted. “The cleaning system at the school must have broken down beforehand.

"When the school re-opened, the powder used to treat the outbreak was still down.

"Fumes from the powder caused headaches and migraines, and two members of staff were hospitalised.

"Also, according to comments by parents on Facebook, kids were still getting flea bites after the event.

"In my opinion, the school should have been closed for the whole week.

"Lacey Gardens is a good school but, on this occasion, the management got it wrong.

"This is not a factory we are talking about. It is a school for young kids, and it should have been done properly.”

It is not known how the flea outbreak came about. But Natalie Hardman, who is the chief administration officer of the Wellspring trust, refuted suggestions that it was linked to cutbacks made to cleaning at the school to save money.

"There is categorically no truth to that allegation,” she told the Louth Leader.

The trust admitted that two staff members “presented at A&E” in connection with the infestation. It is understood that one had multiple flea bites while another had breathing difficulties, possibly caused by the flea treatment.

But in a letter to parents, the trust insisted that the products used to fumigate the schools were “the same safe, standard treatments used in homes and commercial settings”.

The letter went on: “The measures taken ensured the environment was completely safe and comfortable for everyone.

"While the specialist contractors advised that a four-hour window was sufficient before re-entry, we chose to keep the school closed and ventilated as an extra precaution.

"The specialist data confirmed there was no risk to occupants after the four-hour drying window.”

Since the outbreak, parents have been washing school uniforms, PE kits and other clothes on a hot cycle of 60C to destroy any potential flea eggs or larvae, and drying them on a high heat.

One mum, Sarah Stancer, told the BBC: “I have been boiling my children’s clothes every night after school.

"I make them strip off before they sit anywhere in the house because I don’t want fleas in my home."

Others said the outbreak had left them feeling nervous, with one saying she didn’t relish the prospect of “spending the summer flea-bombing my house”.

However, many parents were full of praise for the way Wellspring and Lacey Gardens dealt with the infestation.

Katie Davis told the BBC: “It was a bit of a shock to get the message about the school closing. But I think they did everything they could do.”

Another said: “If the pest controllers and the school are happy it’s safe, then I am too.”

A statement issued by the trust read: “The health, safety, and wellbeing of our pupils and staff are our absolute priorities.

"Following a localised flea issue identified on Monday, July 15, we acted immediately to resolve the situation swiftly, professionally and safely.

"A specialist pest-control contractor was brought in to treat the premises. The products used were standard, approved formulas commonly utilised in domestic and commercial settings.

"While the official product guidelines indicated a standard four-hour ventilation window was required, the school went above and beyond these guidelines.

“According to the manufacturer’s data and specialist advice, the products are entirely safe once dry.

"However, we take all staff and pupil feedback seriously. We have engaged closely with our team to address any individual concerns and continue to support our staff in line with our standard duty of care.”

The LaceyField schools are due to close this week for the summer holidays.

The trust added: “We continue to monitor the situation. We would like to thank our parents, pupils, and staff for their patience and co-operation.”