Six children were taken to A&E after playing with a potentially poisonous plant on their school field.

The pupils at Parsons Heath Primary School in Templewood Road were taken to Colchester General Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

One of the pupils had managed to pull down a branch of ivy that had grown above the school boundary fence and the incident was reported to a teacher.

The Royal Horticultural Society includes Ivy on the UK’s hazardous plant list and describes it as “somewhat poisonous and a skin irritant.”

It says children are most at risk of ingesting the plant and that the sap or allergens can cause a reaction.

It advises anyone who has eaten part of a plant to seek medical advice at A&E.

Headteacher Sheena Clover said: “Basically we put children’s safety first."

See today's paper for the full story.