A SCHOOL has tried "ferrets, gas and shooting" to control a plague of rabbits, but all in vain.

This year's sports day at Cranborne Middle School has been cancelled due to the leporid invasion, with instances of children falling down holes and hurting themselves. Attempts by staff to fill them in have been futile and pupils have been banned from the field.

In letters to parents, headteacher Craig Watson said: "You may be aware of the on-going timeshare arrangement we have with rabbits and our school field.

"We have always shared the field with our furry friends but this year, there are significantly more than ever before and they are digging countless holes. As fast as we fill the holes, more are dug."

Mr Watson said the school has considered a variety of options "particularly in the last two years" in a bid to control the pests.

"For many years, we have worked with our landscaping company and the Cranborne Estate gamekeepers to address the rabbit numbers - out of necessity using ferrets, gas and shooting.

"This has been taking place regularly, even right up to last night, but despite successfully culling a large number, there remains a significant number which are still causing ongoing damage."

The problem means the school will host no competitive sport fixtures, and sports lessons and after-school clubs will take place in the playgrounds, the gym and nearby recreation sites.

"This decision has not been taken lightly," said the headteacher. "We know how much children enjoy using the field for lessons, clubs and socially. However, their health and safety is of paramount importance. We are eager to resolve this issue as soon as possible."

Mr Watson told parents that on Wednesday he had met with "a senior manager for premises and grounds at the local authority" in a bid to resolve the problem.

"He has surveyed the field and deemed it unfit for use and came up with the things that we have already tried or are currently in place so he will be exploring further how to deal with the problem more permanently.

"He is aware that I expect to resolve this issue this term and have the field back in a usable state by September."