OVER 100 SCHOOLS REGULARLY USE DOGS TO SEARCH PUPILS FOR DRUGS

Police sniffer dogs are being regularly used in more than 100 secondary schools in England and Wales to search children for drugs, according to an investigation by Drugscope, the UK's leading drugs charity. 

The use of drug sniffer dogs in schools was unheard of three years ago, but 12 police forces have now taken up the scheme pioneered by the Kent force, which is now taking dogs into primary schools as well, for demonstration purposes. 

Headteachers who have called in the dogs in an attempt to implement a zero-tolerance policy on drugs told Druglink, the charity's magazine, that they regarded it as the "soft option" compared with the random drug testing policy that was advocated by Tony Blair in March. 

The disclosure of the rapid rise in the use of sniffer dogs came as the Home Office claimed that its advertising campaign this year had dispelled confusion about the change in the cannabis laws.  Research out yesterday found 93% of 14- to 17-year-olds surveyed were clear in the knowledge that cannabis is illegal. 

Ministers also claimed that provisional and unpublished early figures from 11 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales showed that the change in the law had led to a fall in the number of arrests for cannabis possession. 

The increase in the use of sniffer dogs in schools is surprising in that the Department for Education and Skills issued guidelines in February saying that they should only be used with caution and in extreme circumstances. 

But the evidence found by Druglink is that they are a regular feature of life in more than 100 secondary schools, and 15 more police forces are interested in setting up similar schemes.  Schools that use dogs ask parents to sign a letter of consent before the searches are carried out and those children whose parents refuse are searched by hand. 

A common approach is for a police officer to demonstrate their sniffer dog to an assembly while another dog is sniffing bags left behind in classrooms.  The children are also individually sniffed as they leave. 

A child found with cannabis or other soft drugs would not be arrested, but generally put on a course to learn about the risks of drug abuse.  Those found with Class A drugs are handed over to the police. 

A Kent police survey found that some pupils felt intimidated by the dogs.  Some complained they had been lied to about the bag searches and were worried that other children might plant drugs in their bags. 

Harry Shapiro, the editor of Druglink, said he was alarmed by the spread of sniffer dogs.  "All parents, especially those with teenage children, worry about drugs, but this seems to be unhelpful to me. 

"It causes distress and distrust amongst the children.  Parents might think it is a good thing, but there is no evidence to support that.  It may be well-meaning but it is not really going to solve any problems."