DANGEROUS food hygiene conditions and a lack of running water at a forest school posed a serious health risk to its young pupils.

The Owl in the Tree Outdoor Nursery operates out of a paddock near Liddington village hall and has pupils as young as two.

But when food hygiene inspectors visited the site in September to check how its proprietor Colin Eustice prepared light lunches, what they witnessed prompted them to place a hygiene emergency protection order banning food being prepared there.

Phil Worth, spoke on behalf of Swindon Borough Council at the town's magistrates' court at a hearing to rubber-stamp the ban.

He said: “Infants under five are a particularly vulnerable group as they are more susceptible to food hygiene risks.

“At the paddock, there was no running water, no electricity or gas supply, and no lighting or refrigeration.

“It was clear to inspectors that conditions there posed an imminent risk to health.

“There was no cleaning equipment apart from baby wipes.

“There was no hot or cold water for cleaning or food preparation, no drainage, and there was a significant risk of contamination to ready-to-eat food.

“There were two teepees – one is a toilet and the other is for storage, both were mouldy with mildew.

“Outside, uncovered and open to the elements, were two tables for food preparation set on the grass.

“Mr Eustice said he collected water from a standpipe by the hall but he didn’t know if the water was drinkable or if the pipe had lead in it.

“When asked about the lack of handwashing facilities, he became tearful and couldn’t offer an explanation.

“He thought preparing sandwiches and salads there would be low-risk but they are actually high-risk.

“The pre-school opened in February 2018 but only registered as a business in June after being contacted by Environmental Health.

“The Owl and the Tree rent the village hall’s kitchen from 8am to 9am for a breakfast, which is the only time the hall’s fridge is available to them. The children are then escorted to the base camp in a small paddock enclosed by barbed wire.

“Due to the location of the camp, it’s impossible to exclude pests.”

Since the banning order , children have to bring packed lunches and will have to until food hygiene standards are met.

Mr Eustice said: “I want to apologise and I’m happy to accept that prohibition.

“I was upset on the day because the way that it was put over was quite aggressive and it was a frightening experience, but I’ve learned from it.

“We’ve ceased using the water from the pipe - it wasn’t for washing, it was just for play.

“We now have two hand-soap dispensers and a solar-powered water bag for washing.

“Parents have been very supportive and we’d like to get back to being able to prepare and serve food again but will make sure things are right before doing so.”

Mr Eustice must pay £1,792.52 in costs.