Pupils in hospital after 'drug-related' incident at Dunfermline High School Published duration 18 January 2019

Four pupils have been taken to hospital after becoming unwell during a suspected drug-related incident at a school in Fife.

Emergency services including five ambulances were called to Dunfermline High School at lunchtime on Friday.

Four pupils were taken to Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy, with six others treated at the scene.

The school said it believed some pupils may have taken tablets outside the school grounds during the lunch break.

In a statement, it said: "We called emergency services immediately and have worked tirelessly with them to try and support pupils who may have been affected. Our first priority has been to check the identified names and contact their parents/carers.

"We have, in conjunction with police and paramedics, also held two quick assemblies with S2 and S3 pupils to ask for any more possible names and to inform that we would be contacting parents/carers immediately.

"We would urge you to speak to your child to ensure that they have not taken any tablets from anybody and to take medical advice if you think they have."

Police Scotland said officers responded following "a report of concern for the health of a number of pupils".

Five ambulances

The Scottish Ambulance Service said it was alerted at 13:23.

A spokesperson said: "We dispatched five ambulance crews, a special operations unit and a rapid response vehicle - we treated six patients at the scene and transported four to Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy."

Phil Black, head of education and children's services at Fife Council said: "We called emergency services immediately and have worked with them to identify and support pupils who may have been affected.

"We have spoken to children this afternoon with police and paramedics to make sure anyone who has taken tablets has been identified and treated.

"We would urge parents to speak to their children to make sure that they have not taken tablets from anyone and to seek medical advice if they think they have."

Alan Craig, Conservative councillor for Dunfermline ward, told the BBC Scotland news website: "It is unbelievable that this sort of stuff is happening at a school and nothing is getting done about it.

"Somebody must be seeing somebody selling it or handing it out.

"I'm shocked and bewildered. You see these things on TV but to be happening at a school in my ward is shocking."