PRIMARY schools in Chippenham are warning children to keep away from Mortimore's Wood after a ten-year-old boy claimed two younger lads threatened him with a knife.

Headteachers Jane Ratcliff of Kings Lodge primary school and Stella Paul of Charter School have sent letters to parents warning them not to let children venture into the area of the wood.

The incident happened on Monday just before 8pm when the boy, a pupil at Charter School, was on a bike ride with his parents and cycled on ahead.

Carole Millard, whose children also attend Charter, said the boy was accosted by two small boys, one of whom brandished a knife, and told the boy to get off his bike. The boys ran away when the parents caught up.

Police said the boys, aged seven and eight, were found within an hour and were spoken to in the presence of their parents. They are below the age of criminal responsibility, so no prosecution could proceed.

But the two nearby schools decided a precautionary warning should be sent out to families.

The incident happened near an illegal travellers' camp, set up on a field by the nature reserve two weeks ago. Mrs Millard has started a petition calling for measures to prevent the travellers returning to the site in the future.