Four Dorset schoolchildren were taken to hospital over fears they may have taken cocaine after they mistook the class A drug for sweets.

Police were called to Broadstone Middle School in Pool following reports that four of the pupils there had taken a white powder on 3 January.

The children reportedly thought the white powder was a sherbert fountain-like sweet.

​Dorset police established the substance was cocaine and, while the children were not believed to have ingested the drug, they were taken hospital to be checked over.

Police said the children were assessed by medical staff and found to be in good health. The pupils were then sent home.

A 32-year old man from Bournemouth has been arrested on suspicion of drug offences. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The school, which teaches children aged between 9 and 13, wrote to all parents to inform them about the incident, which it called “isolated”.

Head Teacher Dawn Wilks and executive head of the school’s sponsor Castleman Academy Trust, Rhonda Moore, said in a joint statement that one child at Broadstone had been found to be in possession of a substance the children had thought was sweets, the BBC reported.

“The school was suspicious of the substance, believing it to be a drug, and immediately called the police.”