WARRINGTON Borough Council says that the decision to cancel a Russian school’s classes was taken over safety concerns for pupils and teachers.

The language, history and dance sessions are run at St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School in Grappenhall on Saturday mornings.

But WBC announced last week that the school was being suspended indefinitely after concerns were raised by some residents amid Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

However, news of the cancellation sparked widespread criticism on Saturday.

Now the council says that the classes have been withdrawn for one week ‘due to safeguarding concerns’ after the school received ‘aggressive’ and threatening letters.

And they will now resume this weekend.

Cllr Sarah Hall, executive board member for children’s services, said: “Late on Friday, I understand a decision was taken by St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School in conjunction with Warrington Borough Council officers to ask the Russian school not to proceed for the following day.

“The decision was taken after the school received aggressive letters in which threats were implied if the classes were to continue. The tone of these letters caused the school significant concern.

“Children of various ages attend the Solnyshko Russian Saturday school. Ensuring the safety of both the pupils and teachers on Saturday was the first priority of both the primary school head teacher and council officers.

“Therefore, due to safeguarding concerns, the decision was taken not to run the classes for one week’s session while the threats were properly investigated and action taken to ensure the safety of the children and staff.

“The risks have now been properly assessed and steps have been taken to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers and therefore the classes will resume this week.

“It is vital that people here in Warrington, and indeed across this country, never make the mistake of conflating the speaking and learning of Russian or the appreciation of Russian language and culture with the deplorable and horrific actions of Vladimir Putin.

“We should remind ourselves that Russian is widely spoken across a number of countries adjacent to Russia, including Ukraine.

“I condemn outright those who have written hateful anonymous and aggressive letters to St Wilfrid's with regard to the Russian school's longstanding arrangement for the hiring of its premises.

“We must ensure that Warrington provides a welcoming, tolerant and compassionate approach not only to the Ukrainian and Russian people who have made this town their home, but also to those who may come here as refugees.

“All Ukrainians will be in agony about the atrocities happening to their homeland, but we should also extend the same spirit of tolerance and solidarity to the many ordinary Russians who are bravely repudiating Putin's actions and reject entirely his war as not being carried out in their name.”

A WBC spokesman initially told the Warrington Guardian that the group was to be ‘cancelled in respect of the current distressing situation in Ukraine’.

The council’s original statement on the issue read in full: “We were made aware of Russian classes taking place at St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School and have been in contact with them about it.

“The school had been independently hired at the weekend by a group of parents and their children.

“We have agreed that the group is to be cancelled in respect of the current distressing situation in Ukraine.

“Our thoughts are with Ukraine and all those who have been displaced, are suffering, or have been injured or taken by the ongoing conflict.”