Police probe claims nursery received racist abuse and online threats in row over child's non-halal chicken sandwich

 
Ridiculous: Yasmin Jackson and her daughter Amari
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Police were today investigating far-right threats to a nursery school after a mother claimed her daughter was stopped from eating her packed lunch because it “wasn’t halal”.

Kingswood Day Care Nursery called in Scotland Yard and schools watchdog Ofsted after staff were deluged with a torrent of racist abuse and threats online.

The row exploded when Yasmin Jackson, 24, accused the nursery in Mitcham of “starving” her five-year-old daughter Amari over concerns that the meat in her packed lunch was not halal.

Manager Afsheen Siddik categorically denied the claims. But when Ms Jackson wrote about it on Facebook, her post was picked up by far-right activists and went viral on the internet.

The nursery then found itself swamped with racial and religious abuse.

Amari was at the £30-a-day nursery on the first day of a two-week, council-funded respite placement designed to give hard-up parents a break from childcare.

Ms Jackson, a former nursery worker, said: “When I picked her up at the end of the day the first thing she said to me was, ‘Mummy I’m really hungry, can I have my lunch now?’

“I went to speak to the manager and I said why wasn’t my daughter allowed her lunch and she said we didn’t know it was healthy.

“I told her how it was chicken salad, bread sticks, humus, a bit of chocolate and a fruit selection. She then said ‘There was a sandwich in there and we didn’t know what it was. We didn’t know if it was halal’.

“I said we are a Christian family and it was a chicken sandwich. And she said we don’t allow any non-halal meat in the nursery. So I thought this is just ridiculous.”

Amira was instead given plain spaghetti, which she refused to eat, fruit and a yoghurt.

Ms Jackson, who has since removed Amira from the nursery, added: “It’s really annoying that this issue has been hijacked because this is not about being anti-Muslim. It’s anti-starving my child, and anti-stupidness.”

Threats: Kingswood Day Care Nursery in Mitcham

In an email supposedly sent to a parent who wrote in to query the incident, an unnamed kitchen worker is said to have wrote: “We could not provided [sic] her the lunch provided by home as we we’re [sic] not sure what meat was given. Without knowing what the mother has given it was not possible for me to serve the child this food.”

The nursery uses a private contractor, Zebedee’s, to provide their meals, with provision for halal and other dietary requirements and allergies.

But there is no mention on the nursery’s website - since shut down due to the abuse - to the requirements for packed lunches.

However a source at the school said: “This is all complete rubbish. We do not only allow halal meat to be eaten. It is not true and it has all been blown out of proportion with people spreading lies.

“To bring race and religion into it is ridiculous, for something that is not true.”

Ms Siddik would not comment on the nursery’s packed lunch policy but said: “I deny the untrue and false allegations that have been made against myself and Kingswood Day Care Nursery.

“As a result I have informed Ofsted and the police who are currently dealing with this matter.

“We work closely with parents to provide a high standard you would expect for your child. We treat each child as an individual and provide them with equal opportunities and meet all ethical standards.”

Scotland Yard today confirmed it is investigating allegations of “racial and religiously aggravated malicious communications” sent to the nursery.

A spokesman added: “Enquiries are ongoing and we are currently liaising with local partners and Ofsted with regards to this matter.”

Kingswood Daycare Nursery provides care for children aged three months to five years and was rated as “good” in the most recent Ofsted inspection.

An Ofsted spokesman said: “We don’t comment on individual complaints. Our role is to ensure that schools are able to provide a safe and secure environment.”

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