Pupils told to put spoons in pants to avoid being whisked abroad for forced marriages
Kids have been told to use a surprise tactic to trigger airport security if they fear being rushed abroad for an arranged marriage
PUPILS who fear being whisked abroad for an arranged marriage have been urged to put spoons in their pants to trigger airport security.
Teachers say girls can then seek help when they are taken away to be searched.
Staff at The Co-operative Academy of Leeds handed out spoons ahead of the summer holidays when 80 per cent of overseas forced marriages of British youngsters take place.
Many kids taken on “holiday” are unaware of the trip’s real purpose.
Harinder Kaur, from the school, said yesterday that concealed cutlery could “save lives”.
She said of the spoon distribution: “This is a way of making our children aware there is a safety net there.”
Natasha Rattu of charity Karma Nirvana, which supports victims of forced marriage, said the spoon method was practical advice.
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The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit said it deals with around 1,500 cases a year in 60 countries, almost half involving Pakistan.
British parents who force their children to marry face seven years’ jail under a law introduced in 2014.