Gunmen threatened to kill a group of British schoolchildren and teachers on an expedition to Africa
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| A group of 14 British schoolchildren and two teachers from Cranbrook School in Kent was robbed at gunpoint on a trip to Tanzania |
The masked robbers ambushed the party’s minibus and forced them out onto the
roadside before stealing cameras, mobile phones and money.
The 14 pupils, aged 15 to 18, and two members of staff from Cranbook grammar
school in Kent were said to be shaken but unhurt after their ordeal in the
Tabora region of Tanzania last month.
Group leader Angela Daly, a former headmistress, said: "All of us thought
they'd kill us, but the students - eight boys and six girls - were
incredible. There was no screaming or hysterics and they handed over the
money.”
The pupils were given the option of returning home early but all decided to
stay on. They were given a police escort for the rest of their month-long
trip.
Cranbrook School has been sending students to east Africa for three decades to
work with local people on aid projects.
Headmaster John Weeds said he hoped that the expeditions would continue
despite the terrifying robbery.
"The vehicle was not targeted, and there were a number of other local people
in the same queue of traffic involved. It wasn't just about the students,”
he said.
"The students were fine. There is no accounting for the emotional effect of
such an episode as that is difficult to diagnose, but they came back in high
spirits.
"We will review what happened but we are very enthusiastic about sending our
students to the developing world. It's a very valuable way of broadening
horizons.”
Four men are due in court after admitting robbery in connection with the
incident on July 24.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice for Tanzania warns that
violent and armed crime, including muggings and robberies, are on the
increase.
Two British teenage girls suffered serious burns after being attacked with
acid earlier this month on Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous island off the coast
of Tanzania.
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