The 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison after several children became ill at a summer camp in the UK, police said Thursday.
After the initial report was made by a third party on Sunday, officers and ambulance workers were deployed to a camp in the village of Stathan, Leicestershire, central England, where children were assessed.
Eight children were taken to the hospital. All were then discharged from the hospital, and parents and guardians were contacted by officers, Leicestershire Police said in a statement.
The arrested man said he was in detention as “surprisedly administering something poison/harmful with the intent to poison/attack/trouble.”
“We understand the concerns that this case will raise for parents, guardians and surrounding communities,” said Senior Investigator Detective Neil Holden.
He added that officers are working with partner agencies, including children’s services. “To ensure full protection is provided to the children involved.”
“This is a complex and delicate investigation and will continue to keep both parents and guardians up to date.
Edward Arger, a member of the Regional Parliament (MP), told CNN in an email: “The report of this incident is clearly shocking and deeply concerned.
“Of course, people will ask a lot of questions about what happened, but it’s important to remember that this is a live police criminal investigation, so I’ll warn those who speculate while the police are doing their job.”
The East Midlands Special Operations’ main incident team (MIT) is leading the investigation and anyone with information is being asked to contact the police.
The unit referred to the Independent Bureau for Police Action (IOPC) for what it said was “the situation of the initial police response” to the incident.
An IOPC spokesperson told CNN: “Our assessment team has investigated all the evidence available and concluded that the IOPC needs to investigate independently.
“The investigation examined whether there was a violation of professional conduct, namely whether the duties and responsibilities were not fulfilled, and as a result, it delayed response to what was declared a serious incident after the Leicestershire Police Department.”
