Man arrested after boy injured in zoo crocodile enclosure

29 minutes ago

Aimee DexterCambridgeshire

News image — The zoo houses crocodiles at its site near Huntingdon

BBC A crocodile with its mouth open in an enclosure near a wooden walkway going through the centre — The zoo houses crocodiles at its site near Huntingdon

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was left with critical injuries after ending up in a zoo's crocodile enclosure.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnson's of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at 13:24 BST.

The boy was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition, the force said.

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and officers added that they do not believe the man and child were known to each other.

The force said it was investigating whether the child was attacked by the animals.

A spokesperson for Johnsons of Old Hurst said its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family.

"Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice," they added.

"If you have any questions about the incident, please direct inquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary.

"The rest of the site will remain open as normal."

The inside of a crocodile enclosure at a zoo. There are bodies of water for the animals as well as foliage and plants. There is a walk way through the middle of the enclosure lined with fences. — The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways

Det Insp Verity McCann, from Cambridgeshire Police, said: "At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.

"We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other. Officers are supporting the boy's family at hospital, and our thoughts remain with them."

Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty wrote on social media that his "thoughts were with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time" and urged people to "refrain from speculation online".

He said he was "liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident".

Sam Read/BBC A uniformed police office stands in front of a bricked barn has a car park outside the front on the left. There is a fence on the right which opens into a court yard and there are signs on the door. There is a police car parked in the car park. — Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnsons of Old Hurst at 13:24 BST

Supplied Several crocodiles are in an enclosure which has a small pond of water that has algae growing in it. The animals are sitting underneath a bridge which goes over the pen. — The zoo houses crocodiles at its site near Huntingdon

Darryl Preston, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's police and crime commissioner, said he had been briefed by Chief Constable Simon Megicks.

"My thoughts go out to the family of the little boy involved in this truly horrific incident," he said.

"I can only begin to imagine the trauma those involved are going through."

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and Magpas Air Ambulance attended the scene.

"A child was transported by road to hospital for further care," they added.

A Magpas Air Ambulance spokesperson said a critical care team attended the incident at 13:42 and "treated one patient at the scene before taking them to hospital".

Map of eastern England showing the location of Johnsons Zoo near Huntingdon, north-west of Cambridge. A red label marks the site, with nearby towns including Huntingdon and Cambridge labelled. Major roads and waterways are shown and an inset map highlights the location within the UK.

According to its website, Johnson's of Old Hurst is a family-run farming business that now features a butchers, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.

It says it "houses over 100 fascinating animals" including crocodiles, African lions and a Bengal tiger.

The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways looking down on large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: "Our thoughts are with the victim and their family but as this is a live police investigation, we cannot comment any further."