All 25 Highland stranger danger alerts were false alarms
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POLICE in the Highlands received 25 reports of strangers approaching school pupils last year – but all of them turned out to be "false alarms with good intent".
The region’s top police officer Chief Superintendent Julian Innes told a strategic Highland Council committee there were good explanations for all cases reported.
And he said those who raised the alarm were right to do so.
He told the education, children and adult services committee that a new initiative funded by police and the council was now in place to make sure police were able to respond immediately if there were reports of a stranger trying to approach youngsters anywhere in the Highlands.
Under the scheme, called Stranger Smart, launched this week in Inverness leaflets are being send home in the schoolbags of primary school pupils, at a cost of £500.
A protocol has also been drawn up for head teachers telling them what they should do if such circumstances were reported to them.
Inverness councillor Bet McAllister welcomed the scheme.
She said: "It’s a very clear and a very simple message for the schools to give out to their staff.
"There have been a few incidents in Inverness not too far away from where I live. Thankfully children were not harmed and they reported to the police and to the school what had happened.
"I think this scheme is absolutely fantastic and hopefully it will deter people from thinking about speaking to children."
