Police rescue children trapped in old orphanage

With the school summer holidays just around the corner many youngsters will have a lot of time on their hands.

The warning comes after police said they had received “multiple calls” over the last few days about the old St Joseph’s orphanage on Mount Street.

On one occasion trapped children had to be rescued.

Preston Police said on their Facebook page: “It appears groups of youths are getting inside the building, smashing glass and throwing objects out.

“Not only is this incredibly dangerous to those walking or driving down Mount Street itself, but the orphanage has been deemed an unsafe building, and anyone going inside is putting themselves at great risk.

“I strongly urge those going inside to stop doing so, and to any parents, make sure your children know of the dangers.”

Following that warning, police said on Friday that they had to attend the orphanage and enter it in order to remove children who had become trapped.

Police posted the message: “Once again we can only stress how dangerous it is for those who decide to enter the building which has been classed as unsafe, but also it is now putting police officers at risk.”

Meanwhile, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned of the dangers of playing on building sites as the summer holidays approach.

A spokesperson for RoSPA said: “We understand that building sites can be appealing to young children but they are not playgrounds and can be dangerous.

“There are steps that businesses can take to prevent children gaining access to their sites, such as making sure sites are secure before leaving for the day, removing access ladders and locking away hazardous substances.”