Man in court after children fell ill at summer camp

A man has appeared in court facing charges related to sweets allegedly laced with sedatives after children fell ill at a summer camp in Leicestershire.

Jon Ruben, 76, was arrested as part of a Leicestershire Police investigation after eight children and one adult at the camp at Stathern Lodge, Stathern, were taken to hospital on Monday. All have since been discharged.

Mr Ruben, of Wayte Court, off Landmere Lane in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, has been charged with three counts of wilful ill treatment of a child, relating to three boys, between 25 July and 29 July.

The defendant gave no indication of pleas to the charges during the short hearing at Leicester Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Mr Ruben faces charges that he wilfully assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned or exposed three boys to unnecessary suffering or injury to health.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at Leicester Crown Court on 29 August.

Police said it first received a report that children at the summer camp on the site had become unwell on Sunday.

The eight children - who were all boys aged between eight and 11 - and an adult were taken to hospital as a precaution.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said it was investigating the forces handling of the incident.

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