LOST AND HOUND - Dog rescued after women spend 15 WEEKS in park trying to catch her with thermal imaging, night goggles, traps and meatballs
Image by: Shelly Spiller
A dog on the run has finally been rescued after three women spent 15 WEEKS tracking her down - using spy cameras, night goggles and make-shift trap filled with meatballs.
Shelly Spiller, 32, Amanda James, 42, and Hazel Richards, 52, spent nights camping into the early hours in a desperate bid to find Bosnian rescue dog Zena.
The trio run a Facebook page called Bristol and Somerset Missing Dogs and were notified of the puppy's disappearance back in April.
After bolting through an open door at her new rescue home in Bristol, the terrier-cross wandered around the city before settling in Blaise Castle park.
After several confirmed sightings of the two-year-old pooch, the women distributed posters and set up night patrols in the park armed with meaty treats.
They had to fend off teenagers, drunks and foxes during their night shifts, which sometimes went on until 3am.
When a month passed without success, they started a GoFundMe page to raise £500 to buy a wildlife camera and chipped in a couple of hundred pounds of their own money towards night-vision goggles.
But after nearly four months on the run, Zena was finally captured after being enticed into the cage with a banquet of liver and garlic sausage, butcher's tripe, swedish meatballs and biscuits on Monday evening.
The troublesome pooch is now residing at a local animal rescue centre where she will remain until she is ready to be fostered again.
Shelly said: "I just can't believe we actually managed to catch her. But we wouldn't have stopped until we did.
"Because she is a rescue dog her first instinct was to bolt off. She had only been with her new foster family for two weeks.
"We all work during the day so we'd have our dinner and meet up in the evening.
"We kept getting pictures of her hanging around the River Avon. After a few weeks we were able to pin down a precise area of the park.
"We'd put on a disposable BBQ every night once the park became quiet and would do it around the same time so it would become routine for her.
"When we first started looking it was during the summer so there would be people hanging around the park being loud, which spooked her.
"That happened for a few weeks which was really frustrating. But we still stayed out just in case we spotted her.
"When we told the teenagers to go to the other side of the park we
"We actually had to put a sign down saying 'monitored cage' so we stopped being asked about it.
"The bad weather actually played in our favour as people stopped hanging around.
"The key was being as quiet as possible.
"At the beginning we were out there until 2:30-3am in the morning.
"But once we got the cameras installed we were able to watch the trap from one of our houses, as we live nearby.
"Sometimes we would have to do another late night as the WiFi router would run out.
"We had to keep topping that up every three or four days."
Image by: Shelly Spiller
Image by: Shelly Spiller
Image by: Shelly Spiller
Image by: Shelly Spiller
They set up the first trap but found it was too small for her to enter.
After testing that out for a couple of weeks, the trio made a longer
Shelly added: "We soon realised she wasn't a fan of things like fish, tuna, mackerel or anything fishy really.
"So we switched it to meats and fresh wet food.
"We didn't buy tinned goods.
"She was living like a fox so that wouldn't have been any good.
"It was quite expensive in the end. We must have spent about £500 which came out of our own pocket.
"But after we changed the food we had to look at changing the traps.
"The first one was too small and she just didn't enter it.
"We got a longer one which she did go in but it would take her forever to get to the back.
"We'd put a trail of food to the bowls but she just never went far back enough.
"That went on for five weeks before we decided to move onto a third one.
"She started weeing against it as a way of marking her territory which was a good sign.
"We would move the bowl an inch or two back everyday so she would go further back into the cage and eventually hit the footplate.
"The aim was for her to press on it which would then release the trap door and trap her in.
"But she's not silly.
"If we moved it back two or three inches she wouldn't go in because she knew it was tampered with.
"It was all about having a lot of patience.
"We were just behind the bushes when she was finally caught.
"It was basically a banquet in there. There was liver sausage, garlic sausage, butcher's tripe, Swedish meatballs, chicken meatballs and biscuits.
"As soon as the door was released we crept over as we didn't know if she was 100 per cent in there."
After successfully catching Zena, the trio carried the cage into a car before reuniting her with foster owner Denise on Monday evening.
The pooch has now returned to a local animal rescue home in the hope of building her confidence before she finds a long-term home.
Shelly said: "She's very nervous around people so it was probably too early for her to be fostered.
"There are going to be people who will say why did you spend months searching for her when she had only been with her foster family for two weeks but I just think animals shouldn't be dismissed.
"She came to England for a better life.
"It was just for the love of animals.
"In our eyes every animal deserves to be warm, fed and comfortable.
"We treated ourselves to a well-deserved pint afterwards but tomorrow we'll be onto the next one."
Video by: Shelly Spiller
Furious residents have slammed "disgusting" fly-tippers who dumped pile of rubbish down a public pathway - which is 50 FEET long
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Furious residents have slammed "disgusting" fly-tippers who have left a public pathway impassable - after dumping a pile of rubbish which is 50 FEET long.
The enormous mound of waste, which stands 12ft high, appeared in the early hours of Friday (19/7) morning.
Items including electrical cables, plugs, circuit boards, children's toys and even corporate waste can be seen piled up.
One container labelled 'highly flammable' was pictured lying in the litter, which appears to have been compacted.
It's thought the stinking mess was dumped out of a HGV between 12.40am and 1.40am on Friday (19/7).
Hundreds of locals in Stockport, Greater Mancs, now have to walk past the rotting pile of waste every day.
The offenders, whose identities aren't yet known, have been described as "selfish", "disgusting" and "shameless".
A nearby resident, who doesn't want to be named, noticed the mound on Saturday (20/07) when he took his dog for a walk.
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
He said: "I have walked down here everyday for years and I've never seen anything like it.
"I was completely shocked when I saw, there is such a huge amount of rubbish.
"To be honest it's absolutely disgusting.
"To dump your rubbish anywhere but a tip is wrong, but to do it on a pathway that's used by the public is awful.
"Us who live here have to walk past it and smell it everyday now.
"People have to be careful that their dogs don't go anywhere near it because who knows what's in there?"
He added: "You can tell that it's been dumped here by some sort of professional waste disposal outfit.
"This isn't just a few blokes in their cars, it's an entire lorry full of rubbish.
"The council need to put concrete barriers up to stop vehicles coming down and prevent this ever happening again."
The man said people have been fly-tipping in the area for the past ten years but that no one had ever left this much at once.
Social media user Ray Hall posted on Facebook: "Fly tipping is appalling but it will only increase until the perpetrators, when caught, are made to pay the full cost for its removal."
One person described the incident as "outrageous" and another described the offenders as "filthy".
The pile is on a pathway in Stockport called the Fallowfield Loop.
It has been reported to Greater Manchester Police, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and the Environment Agency.
Authorities hope CCTV footage will help uncover who is responsible.
Fly-tipping is defined as the 'illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it'.
In 2016/17 more than one million incidences of fly-tipping were dealt with by councils in England, with an estimated clear up cost of over £58m.
Offenders can be prosecuted and face imprisonment or a fine of up to £50,000.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
CCTV footage of the HGV driving towards the pathway then leaving an hour later has emerged.
The enormous lorry can be seen arriving to the site at 12.40am then driving away after dumping its load at 1.41am.
The videos were captured by a nearby homeowner who has cameras attached to the outside of her house.
A Stockport Council official has described the incident as "extremely disappointing" and assured residents an investigation is underway.
In a statement made this morning (Mon), councillor Sheila Bailey said: "We are extremely disappointed to hear of the fly-tipping incident near the entrance to the Fallowfield Loop in Reddish.
"Due to the scale of this incident we are liaising with the regulating body, the Environment Agency.
"We have already gathered evidence and will be working with the Environment Agency in their investigations to help bring this horrible act and serious criminal offence to justice."
Cllr Bailey has urged anyone with information to email district.group@stockport.gov.uk.
A four-year-old genius inventor and engineer has offered the French president his plans to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral - which he has made out of LEGO
Image by: Jon Mills
A four-year-old genius inventor and engineer has offered the French president his plans to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral - which he has made out of LEGO.
Super-bright Thomas Nourse-Wright has been taking apart and rebuilding clocks since he was just two and can build electrical circuit boards for fun.
He loves being surrounded by Lego blocks and cogs, and at the age of just four already classes himself as an "inventor".
After French president Emmanuel Macron announced a competition to replace the burnt-down Notre Dame spire Thomas has come up with his own design.
He has now crated his version - from Lego bricks.
The youngster, from Cheltenham, Glos., has been watching news clips of the Notre Dame fire on repeat since the blaze in April, according to his mother, Julia.
Little Thomas said: "I would really like it if the President would look at my design and talk to me about the drawing that I made.
"I made the model of what I want it to look like out of Lego. I came home and I got my ruler and made a plan of what I can do.
"In my design of the spire on Notre Dame, I want to put a sprinkler in so firemen do not have to do it if it was to catch fire, and it would be easier to put a fire out."
Thomas added: "I like building things out of Lego. I have also built a phonograph out of Lego. I am an inventor. I like to invent things."
After a fire devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in April, the French President announced a competition to replace its spire, and a flurry of designers have offered their proposals.
Thomas' mother, Julia Nourse-Wright, 33, said that she saw the window for plans to be submitted, and thought that Macron would like to see her son's ideas for the spire.
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
The mum-of-three said: "I have been in contact with the president and Notre Dame.
"But I have not heard anything back except that the presidents office suggest that I contact Notre Dame directly.
"I can't even pinpoint when he became obsessed with it. We never spoke about it at home. He just kept watching news clips over the fire over and over.
"He said, 'I wish I could make it with Lego so it won't burn down.
"When I told him about the competition, he straight away went to get a pencil and paper, and he just drew."
Julia added: "His knowledge is amazing. He has always been fascinated with anything that has a mechanism - fans, dishwashers, air conditioning units.
"He has an obsession with clocks, ever since he was about two. His bedroom wall is covered in clocks. He likes to take them apart and put him back together.
"He just seems to have a natural understanding of how things work - and if he doesn't, he'll take it apart.
"The words he uses when he's working on thing is just amazing. He knows what a magnatron is, and how it converts into energy.
"He's just in his own little world most of the time, playing away.
"We bought him toys, like the electrical circuits that were meant to be from age eight years old and up and he has been playing with them since his last birthday.
"We realised quite early on that we couldn't stop him from playing with electrical things - so we just had to teach him about safety.
"He's very clued up on safety, he's very cautious," said Julia.
Thomas often comes out of school with ideas for new inventions.
He knows what he plans to be when he grows up - already he classes himself as being an inventor and loves all things science related.
Thomas said: "I really like the towers of Notre Dame. They look good and I like the structure. The towers' structure is very good as both parts of them survived.
"I have a book of the plans that I have made and I have taken it to school."
His family are very supportive of his work and hopes and dreams.
Thomas’ father George Nourse-Wright, 34 said: "I am very proud that he has found something that he is so good at. I hope that it is something that stays with him.
"He is always asking questions and always on the go. He is wanting to know more all the time."
Kind-hearted 107-year-old donated his entire estate to a hospital to help fund an innovative scanner - which will be used to treat his great-great-niece's brain tumour
Video by: Ashley Moran 
Image by: Steve Chatterley
A kind-hearted 107-year-old donated his entire estate to a hospital to help fund an innovative scanner - which will be used to treat his great-great-niece's brain tumour.
Former army-veteran David 'Stanley' Brackenbrough left a legacy gift of £245,000 when he died in 2017 which has been used to fund a third of the £800,000 machine.
The device will enable doctors to give brave seven-year-old Isabelle Smith a more detailed diagnosis of a benign tumour she was diagnosed with at nine-months old.
The growth lies deep within her brain and has so far been unable to be removed; however, the scanner may open up the possibility of it eventually being extracted if necessary.
Isabelle's mother Loran Smith, 33, said her great-uncle Stanley loved the little girl so much during the final years of his life - and knew everything about her condition.
Stanley sadly lost his two children and wife so decided to help little Isabelle and thousands of other children by gifting the hospital the extraordinary amount.
Loran believes the donation was his way of 'saying thank you' for the way the hospital had looked after her all her life.
She said: “Stanley told my mum - his niece - he might leave something to the hospital but we had no idea it would be such a large amount.
"He saw they looked after her so well, so it became very important to him to help in any way that he could."
Stanley was a high ranking officer during the second world war in the Royal Army Services Corps regular Army.
He was promoted to Lance corporal, then sergeant, Captain and Officer Commanding.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
In his later years he lived a "humble life" as a pastry cook & confectioner and loved walking and painting.
Isabelle used to tell her great-great-uncle she wanted to be doctor - something Stanley agreed with after he saw her fighting her condition.
Loran added: "Every time she visited him, she would tell him she wanted to be a doctor and he always encouraged her.
"He looked after himself right up to the end and knew everything about Isabelle and what she was going through.
"He apparently told my mum he might leave some money to the hospital but none of us had the slightest idea of how much it would be, we never expected it.
"I am so proud of what he has done and how many people he will be able to help.
"He knew the comfort that the hospital gave us, we are so lucky to have them."
Stanley, who was born on September 8 1909, sadly passed away on February 27 2017 aged 107 in Sheffield General Hospital.
Isabelle, from Sheffield, South Yorks., was diagnosed with a tumour in December 2012.
Surgeons at the time decided removing the growth would be too risky and it remains within the core of the little girl's brain.
The current placement of the growth means it is inoperable and Isabelle attends scans every 12 months to monitor progress in case the tumour becomes aggressive.
Isabelle is due to have an annual brain scan on an older machine on May 13 this year, where results will be compared like-for-like with last year to assess any growth.
However, in the next few years Isabelle's family are hoping she will be able to use the machine to reduce the time spent being scanned and give her a more detailed assessment.
Loran said: "Sometimes Isabelle is in the scanner for a long time and comes out upset.
"The new machine is supposed to be a lot quicker so I think this would make a massive difference to her."
Self-employed Loran, who is also mother to nine-year-old brother Jack, said it was "amazing" to think her great-uncle's donation could help thousands of children in the future.
She said: "You always want to ensure your children receive the best care possible and to know he will help other families too is really very special."
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
The new equipment will allow radiologists to scan children with suspected cancerous tumours, epilepsy, painful injuries or neuro-disabilities with just one highly advanced diagnostic device.
Recalling Isabelle's diagnosis, Loran - who is married to Matt Smith, 37 - said her daughter's use of her right hand and leg was not natural.
She said: “I originally noticed the lack of usage of the limbs when playing in the bath.
"She wouldn’t grasp her hand to hold items, so I took her to our GP who referred us to a neurologist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
“It was such a shock to find out it was a tumour, it was a really difficult time. No-one was sure what would happen next, they said it could take her in a few weeks.”
Further scans revealed the tumour was a low-grade glioma - a benign non-cancerous growth which are the slowest growing type.
Isabelle is not affected on a day-to-day basis and does no longer has any obvious symptoms caused by her benign tumour.
Loran continued: “It’s too dangerous for them to test the tumour and we’re not sure what, if anything, will trigger it to become aggressive.
"Luckily, she hasn’t had any kind of invasive surgery and hopefully it never comes to that but we’re just constantly watching for the signs.”
The care Isabelle received from the hospital inspired ‘Team Izzy’ - a group of family and friends who have ran marathons and held events, raising over £15,000 for the hospital.
Loran added: "The care we receive is incredible, the hospital and team can’t do enough for us. We are so lucky to have such an amazing hospital on our doorstep.”
The machine will also mean less discomfort for patients, with multiple scans conducted at the same time - with enhanced imagery which will provide more certainty when diagnosing patients so they can expect more tailored treatment.
The remaining cost of the scanner was raised throughout 2017 through a series of charity events and donors.
David Vernon-Edwards, director of The Children’s Hospital Charity added: “We would like to thank David’s family and all of the generous donors from the bottom of our hearts for enabling Sheffield Children’s Hospital to offer this amazing device, which will make a massive difference for so many severely ill children.”
Mum who had still born twins and fell into a coma because of a rare liver condition was given a new organ - and now has a new baby
Image by: Louise Prashad
A mum who had stillborn twins and fell into a coma because of a rare liver condition was given a new organ - and now has a new baby.
Louise Prashad, 25, suffered the tragic double blow after being struck down with an often fatal condition during her first pregnancy.
Her 'acute fatty liver of pregnancy' saw her wake from a coma to be told her twins had been stillborn.
Mia and Leo were stillborn at 37 weeks - something Louise did not know about until she woke up three weeks later.
Louise thought she would never have another child - and only survived thanks to a liver transplant donated by a woman in her 50s.
It was found by medics in eight hours after Louise was escalated to number one on the European organ register.
Louise was wracked with grief following the death of the twins and practically gave up all hope of ever being a mother again.
Her reluctance was down to the one in four chance of the 'acute fatty liver' condition reoccurring during another pregnancy.
But after making the brave decision to try for another baby with her now husband Max, 30, who works in a restaurant, she fell pregnant with Ava following a year wait.
Louise wasn’t convinced little Ava, who is now one, would be born alive until being welcomed into the world on March 20, 2018.
She said: “I never thought I would have another child. When I decided I wanted to try again, I had to wait over a year because the medication I was on was really harmful.
“We started trying and it took a year and a half. I finally fell pregnant with Ava but it was the most nerve-wracking pregnancy. I really struggled to enjoy it.
“When you are pregnant, the slightest little thing can set your nerves going but I was on tenterhooks constantly.
“I didn’t believe she was going to be here alive until I gave birth. I wasn’t allowed a natural birth, I had to have a planned cesarean to make sure she was here safely.
“The minute I saw her and heard her cry I thought ‘she is actually here and I can stop doubting myself’.
“She is the spitting image of Mia and Leo, the similarities are so strange - the dark hair, same colour eyes, olive skin, cute button nose.”
After the birth of Ava, Louise’s first thoughts were of her son and daughter and of the woman who had donated the organ.
She wrote a letter to the donor’s family to let them know where their mum’s organ had gone and what Louise had achieved thanks to the woman in her 50s.
Louise fell pregnant with twins Mia and Leo in August 2015 aged 21 while taking a degree in law and having only been with her then-boyfriend, Max for six months.
Image by: Louise Prashad
Image by: Louise Prashad
She had a difficult pregnancy and then began to suffer from extreme fatigue, sickness and abdominal pain in the months before her due date.
Louise was rushed to hospital after vomiting two pints of blood before slipping into unconsciousness following complications with her pregnancy.
Medics later discovered Louise had been struck down with potentially fatal 'acute fatty liver of pregnancy' which affects one woman in 10,000 and meant Mia and Leo were 'born sleeping'.
She bears a scar across her stomach from the emergency transplant and caesarean. Louise sees these scars as a stark reminder of her survival and gift of life but also the devastation that she experienced.
Louise underwent a liver transplant while she was unconscious and had a very slim chance of survival
After waking up she could not remember the months leading up to her illness due to delirium.
Whilst recovering in the hospital, Lousie had to be told the devastating news that her twins had passed away.
Louise, who works for City of York Council, said: “Mum came in and broke the news that Mia and Leo weren’t here anymore. I screamed the place down.
“That’s when it all felt real and my brain came round to the idea they weren’t there anymore.
“It was the most traumatic experience of my life. I somehow found this inner strength that I needed to get better to ensure they had the best send off possible. They deserved so much more than the hand they were dealt.
“It was all about them and trying to celebrate what little life they had. I was numb.”
Louise had to learn to walk and write again, but once she left intensive care, managed to visit the chapel of rest and spend some time with Mia and Leo before the funeral.
Louise and her husband Max, of Holgate, York, have since raised £800 for a remembrance bench in Rowntree Park in honour of Mia and Leo and other families who have experienced child loss.
She said: “April 25 will be Mia and Leo’s birthday, so we’re hoping to get the bench in place by then. I was trying to think of something positive I could do.
“The last few years have been a whirlwind of emotion and grief, that never really stops.
“I wanted something in our home city we could visit with Ava on special occasions when we need some time out to think about them, or having a hard day.
“Somewhere we could go that’s a memorial and not a grave.
"I cannot even begin to explain how perfect my children were, I still think about them everyday. The pain never fades."
Louise is still undergoing counselling and physiotherapy to improve her mobility but is determined to make her children proud by raise awareness of organ donation and liver conditions in pregnancy.
She said: “Awareness of liver conditions in pregnancy is very low key. More needs to be done to educate the general public.
“Itchy skin, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin, excessive thirst, tiredness, bleeding gums are all symptoms.
“I think if you are willing to receive an organ, then you should be willing to donate.
“I was on the organ donor register before but I didn’t give it a moment’s thought, it was just something I ticked on my driving application but it is so much more than that. You are saving someone's child, someone's mother, the love of someone's life."
“It was through no fault of my own that I found myself in that situation and if there had not have been a donor available I wouldn’t be here and my husband would have lost three people that day.”
In the last three years, Louise has continued to exude strength and is now trying to use her experiences to benefit other families.
Friends and family are running York 10K in memory of Mia, Leo and organ donors and all funds raised will be donated to local organ donation charities.
To donate towards the memorial fund, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/miaandleoyork10k.
Image by: Louise Prashad
Catholic school pupils were hospitalised after "more than 100" suffered burned foreheads while taking part in an Ash Wednesday assembly
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Parents at a catholic school say "more than 100" kids suffered burns while having ash crosses smudged onto their foreheads during an Ash Wednesday assembly.
At least two children from St Augustine’s Catholic High School were taken to hospital following the religious event.
Parents said the ritual was performed by a priest and two older children and was stopped half way through when kids complained of "tingling".
One concerned grandparent said more than 100 kids were burned - and parents are considering legal action against the school in Redditch, Worcestershire.
A parent who took her son to hospital for treatment said medics told her it was a chemical burn that would likely leave a scar.
Traditionally the ash for the ceremony comes from leaves burned in last year's Palm Sunday services.
But a grandparent said "toxic" ones had been used this time.
Mum Cassena Brown, 39, said her son Chairo Rowe, 14, was badly burned in the ceremony, had to be taken to hospital and has been off school for two days.
She said: "I am absolutely furious.
"They started with the year nine and it was the priest and two sixth form children - a boy and a girl.
"That's the first thing that confused me when I heard about it. Why are children doing it to other children?
"After a while some of the children said that it had started to burn. Some of the teachers said it did as well.
"Some of them rubbed it off straight away, but some left it on.
"The children who left it on complained it was burning and some were given a wet wipe to wipe it off.
"But when some of the kids wiped it off, it ripped the skin off as well.
"It was red raw. They should have been sent to a medical professional, not given a perfumed wet wipe."
Delivery driver Cassena said all parents were sent a text message saying some children had been left with an "irritation" after the Ash Wednesday assembly.
She said the message said the parents of the most severely affected children would get a call - which Cassena did - and she came to pick up her son early.
"I saw other children walking out with their parents, with red marks - like a heat rash almost - on their foreheads," she said.
"But when I saw my son I was gobsmacked.
"My son was the worst of everyone. Because he is of Afro-Caribbean heritage you can see the burn very clearly, as the skin is burned and it's white underneath."
She said doctors at Alexandra Hospital said it was a chemical burn and recommended keeping the wound clean with cold water.
"It continued to burn throughout the night," she said.
"It was red hot. He won't go to school.
"He's embarrassed. Last week he had girls at school saying he was cute, now he has a burn on his face."
A grandfather of another burned child, who did not want to be named, said "over 100 children were damaged".
He added: "They are anointed with a cross on the forehead.
"The medium used was a mixture of palm oil and ash from burned leaves.
"They must have picked a toxic leaf as the results in most cases were burns on the forehead resulting in hospital admissions for many children.
"The parents are contemplating legal action."
The Christian Ash Wednesday ritual involves receiving a mark of ashes on the forehead as a token of penitence and mortality.
Parents at the school gates today (Fri) said some burned children were sent home.
One dad, who has a daughter at the school, said: “I think it was basically the first year students in school who were affected.
“It’s terrible really."
A mum said: "A load of the kids had to go home after they got burned."
Another mum added: "My daughter said something had happened and some kids got burned on the forehead.
“We are not Catholic so my daughter would not have taken part."
St Augustine’s Catholic High School said the ash was provided by a priest from the Diocese of Birmingham, which sourced it from a company in Aldridge.
Head of school Gerald O'Connor said he didn't know how many children were affected - but it was less than the estimate of "more than 100" given by parents.
He said he didn't know how many children were taken to hospital, but said some teachers were burned too.
A spokesperson for the school said: "During the Ash Wednesday service, it came to our attention that some discomfort was experienced by students that had received the ashes on the forehead.
"As a result all students were requested to wash the ashes off immediately to ensure no further discomfort was felt.
"We are aware that some students had a reaction to the ashes from the parish, for which medical advice has been sought.
"Parents are being kept informed and the school will carry out a full investigation as to why the ashes may have caused this reaction on this occasion."
Mr O'Connor added: "There were a number [of students] that we advised to seek medical attention. We've asked parents to keep us informed as to whether they did or not.
"We dealt with the issue immediately. Obviously health and safety is our primary concern.
"Some teachers were affected. We advised them to seek medical attention as well.
"We source our ashes from an external provider. We know there are processes to follow, and that is under investigation. We have asked for that investigation to happen. We want to get to the bottom of it."
Watch jaw-dropping moment huge meteor lights up night sky as it crashes towards Earth
Video by: Jessica Waters 
Image by: Simon Galloway
This is the jaw-dropping moment a huge METEOR lit up the night sky as it crashes towards Earth.
The incredible footage was filmed by a police car’s dash cam during a routine patrol in Maryland, USA.
Cops in Ocean City were driving along 130th street at around 11am on Tuesday (April 16) when the meteor burst through the earth’s atmosphere.
The clips shows the firey meteor career down from space to put on a breathtaking display.
It was filmed in Ocean City, on 130th Street, by Ocean City police patrol officer, Nathan Kutz.
PFC Kutz had been asked by a resident of the community to carry out extra patrols in that area after raising safety concerns to the force.
Ocean City Police Department have dash cams installed on their patrol vehicles in their constant fight against crime.
But on this rare occasion, PFC Kutz was able to use his to film this “incredible display”.
A spokesperson for Ocean City Police Department said: “Just before midnight, the meteor flew through the sky and was captured on PFC Kutz dash cam.
“We are used to our dash cams catching the bad guys but the fact that it caught this beautiful display of science is incredible.”
Meteors - also known as shooting stars - typically hit speeds of up to 45,000mph when they enter the earth’s atmosphere.
As they head towards the surface of the earth they create a streak of light caused by aerodynamic heating.
Meteors become visible between about 75 to 120 km above Earth and vary in size and composition.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Astonishing moment free runners ride on top of a TRAIN in London for a stunt
This is the astonishing moment two adrenaline junkies rode on the top of a moving London TRAIN.
The daredevils can be seen running towards a Docklands Light Railway station before racing up to the platform and jumping on the outside of the final carriage.
A video shows the masked pair then hoisting themselves to the top of the driverless train and "surfing" it out of West Silvertown Station in London.
Go-Pro footage shows the men leaping between the carriages, and bracing themselves against the wind on top of the train which can reach speeds of 50mph.
As it pulls into the next station - understood to be Canning Town - the two men race to the end of the train before leaping onto the platform and racing out the exit.
One of the men, who would not be named, said the stunt took place last week.
The 21-year-old said: “It was just fun.
“The ride between stations was probably about two minutes but it felt like an eternity.
“When we arrived at the next stop people were shouting for us to ‘get down’ which is understandable as for a normal person this is unimaginable.
“Most of them say that we have a death wish.
“I don’t regret doing it.
“It’s all about your attitude and how you time it.
"We knew we could never do it on the underground so this was the next best thing.
“We couldn’t during rush hour and if we left it too late it would have been kids coming back from school."
A spokesman for the British Transport Police has been contacted for comment.
British sanctuary is home to this massive DONKEY which is set to become the biggest - in the WORLD
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
A British sanctuary is home to this massive DONKEY which is set become the biggest - in the WORLD.
The enormous young animal called Derrick is a staggering 16.3 Hands (5ft 7ins) tall -
and is still growing.
Whopping Derrick is an American Mammoth Jackstock - the largest breed in the world.
The current record is held by Romulus in the Texas, USA, who measures 17 Hands - (5ft 8ins).
Derrick is now just an inch short but his owners say he will easily become a world record holder for biggest donkey.
The donkey lives at Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary, Lincolnshire.
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Sanctuary owner Tracy Garton said: "He was always big, he was big when he was born.
"He hasn't finished growing yet, they stop growing when they reach seven years old.
"So he still has a lot of time."
The 52-year-old said that despite his size, Derrick is a gentle giant: "Derrick is very very friendly.
"He's just like a big dog, follows you around all the time and wants to be by your side."
When Derrick stops growing, the sanctuary will call Guinness World Records.
Romulus has held the title since 2013, but is set to lose the crown once Derrick finishes growing.
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary opened in 1992, it has 59 animals including donkeys, mules, horses, zeedonks and a zonky.
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Moment quick-thinking police call handler saves mute man's life by interpreting his frantic tapping down the phone
Video by: Ellis Wylam
This is the incredible moment a mute man who called 999 was able to communicate with the emergency operator - using a series of TAPPING noises.
The 63-year-old became poorly at home and his call for help went through to police when he didn't speak.
Thankfully call handler Kathryn Longstaff realised something was wrong and quickly realised the man was communicating with her via tapping.
The pair communicated by her asking him questions - and he tapped for yes, adding a number of taps in quick succession to indicate a more urgent answer.
The man - who usually communicates using a whiteboard - was rushed to hospital and later used the board to thank Kathryn for saving her life.
In an audio recording of the call, the Cleveland Police call handler can he heard asking him if he needs an ambulance, if he has problem breathing and if his door is open.
The only way the man from Cleveland, was able to answer was by hitting something to make a noise, during the call on February 16.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Kathryn said: “As soon as I picked up the call, I knew something wasn’t right and I had to think quickly of a way to communicate with him as I didn’t know at that point what sort of danger he was in.
“Thankfully he had contacted police before and his number and address were already on our system.
"This allowed me to ask him to confirm his personal details by tapping.
"I then asked if he was in danger and if he needed an ambulance.
“I even asked him if he could manage to open the door to allow medical services to access his house, which he was able to do.
“As soon as I knew that he was in danger, my colleague dispatched officers to his address who also alerted the Medicar to attend as quickly as possible.
"Once it arrived, the man was rushed to James Cook University Hospital.
“The man could only use a whiteboard to communicate with staff and he wrote on it to thank all the staff for saving his life, which was extremely moving."
Head of force control room Superintendent Emily Harrison said Kathryn was "an absolute credit to the force".
She added: "Without her quick-thinking the man might not be alive today."
