POLICE are investigating after a packet of suspected drugs was found lying outside the entrance to a York primary school.

The packet, containing seven white tablets, was discovered in an area of grass outside Huntington Primary School by a Rhodesian ridgeback dog called Kozee, said the animal’s owner Simon Gordon.

He said a street cleaner who was nearby had identified the packet’s contents as being ecstasy tablets, having cleared such drugs away previously on his rounds.

Mr Gordon, the boss of Gordonstone Paving, of Huntington, said he had concerns that a young child might have picked up the packet and eaten some of the tablets, had the dog not sniffed them out.

“There are a lot of children milling round in that area at the start and end of school, some as young as four.”

He said he had been out in his van when he happened to stop near the school and he let his pet dog out for a walk.

The animal then ran over to the grass and refused to leave the spot until Mr Gordon had gone over to see what he had found.

“He was going mad,” Mr Gordon said, adding that Kozee had had no training in searching for drugs.

Ann McKeown, the school’s headteacher, said a member of the public had come in to the school and handed in a packet containing several tablets which he had just found outside the school site.

“We immediately contacted the police who took the tablets away for investigation.

“There was no danger at any time to the children or staff in the school and there is no evidence that the packet of tablets belonged to anyone attending Huntington Community Primary School.”

She said the school was writing to parents to inform them of what had happened, and to reassure them that at no time were children put at risk.

North Yorkshire Police said officers were called by the school at 10am on Monday after a plastic bag containing seven tablets was found outside the school.

“The tablets were collected by a police officer and the items have been booked into the police station as potential evidence,” said a spokesman.

“Inquiries are currently ongoing and the tablets have been submitted for analysis to determine whether they are illegal drugs or simply somebody's misplaced medicine.”

He urged anybody with information which could help the police in their inquiries to phone York police on 0845 6060 247 and quote reference number 12080116891.