Primary school teacher suspended over feet tickling and sniffing incident

A school has suspended a teacher over claims that he tickled and sniffed children’s feet. Police have arrested a man on suspicion of ‘assault by touching’ and four young boys have been quizzed by officers.

Parents said they were stunned when they heard that police had been called to the Blackburn primary school on Tuesday. The parents of the boys concerned were then contacted and told to come into school to discuss matters. Parents said they were then told their children had been asked to remove their shoes and socks at school.



One parent said her son told her had been made to remove his footwear and sit on a desk. She said children then had to play ‘a game’ in which they were told to go barefoot and chose a card. Children’s feet were then either ‘tickled or sniffed by the staff member’ depending on which card they chose. Another mother said: “I didn’t know anything about this and was called into school to be told my son had been questioned by police.

“I am deeply concerned and I feel everyone should know what has been happening so it can be properly looked into. This is so confusing for children. My son said he was picked up and put on a table, his shoes and socks taken off. Then he had to pick a card saying tickle or sniff. How can under-tens make any sense of that?” The male staff member has been suspended and an investigation has been launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council.