We have received a notice from Merseyside Police about dangerous trespassing which can be found in the document attachment.

The text is as follows:

To whom it may concern, It has recently come to our attention that students from local schools in the area are entering a disused building. The building is called St Gabriel’s Convent and is located on Church Road/Beaconsfield Road in the Woolton area. The building and outer grounds have been boarded up but during recent months these boards have been removed and access can now be gained to the building once more.

Merseyside Police are patrolling this area on a regular basis and in the past few months have caught many youths gathered in the building consuming alcohol and smoking drugs.

Intelligence shows that many of the youths located in this building are from local schools and are sometimes present on the premises during school hours. The main reason for this letter is to highlight the dangers of entering this abandoned building and grounds.

The building itself has been declared unsafe to enter by Merseyside Fire and Rescue, it is not structurally sound and is extremely dangerous. Youths are putting themselves at risk by congregating inside there. The land outside the building is also unsafe as it now has many trip hazards and various items scattered around the floor. If someone was to fall and injure themselves, due to the isolation of the grounds, that person is at risk of not being found quickly and being unable to get assistance from emergency services.

Merseyside Police have also had many complaints from local residents whose properties surround the area regarding anti-social behaviour at the location. We would like to remind both pupils and staff that these are private grounds, and entry onto these grounds would be considered trespassing. If pupils are entering the grounds and causing criminal damage to the building, for example graffiting the walls, this would amount to the offence of burglary and they would be liable for arrest.

We politely request that teachers make students aware of these issues in order to ensure their safety and minimise risk.