Girl, 11, Finds Dead Body on Middle School Sports Field During Physical Education Class: Reports

An 11-year-old girl is recovering from a frightening discovery made during a physical education class at a school in Wolverhampton, England.

West Midlands Police said in a statement that a 45-year-old man was found injured on the grounds of Smestow Academy on Monday, Jan. 19. Officers were called in the morning, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the death is being treated as unexplained as the investigation continues.

The police release did not specify who first found the man, but a student’s father told The Telegraph that his daughter was “really shaken up” after discovering the body near the goal posts on the field.

“My daughter phoned her mom up, screaming, and told her that she found a dead body by the goal posts on the field,” he said, adding that the class had gone outside in heavy fog that morning. The father said they chose to take her out of school early because of what she had seen.

Following the incident, the school was closed to students, according to the outlet.

Authorities said they are supporting the man’s family, but did not identify him. Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

“The victim was seen at 1 a.m. this morning on Wheatsheaf Road, Wolverhampton and was then sighted on the school grounds at 7:15 a.m.,” the police release said. Investigators described him as last seen wearing a distinctive camouflage jacket, grey gilet, jeans and a beanie hat. He was also carrying a red rucksack and may have been wearing sunglasses.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Poole of the Homicide Unit said investigators are still in the “early stages” and urged the public not to speculate about what happened. He added that extra officers would be in the area to reassure the community, and asked anyone who saw the man in the early hours to contact police.

Smestow Academy also addressed the incident in a statement posted on Facebook, saying police asked the school to close on Monday to allow investigators to work.

“As you will be aware, Police told us to close school today because of an incident unconnected with Smestow Academy,” the statement read, citing a police update that a body was found at the edge of the grounds and that enquiries were underway to confirm the man’s identity and the circumstances of his death.

The school said it had been given the all-clear to reopen Tuesday “as usual,” and that it would hold assemblies to reassure students. It also encouraged any students affected by the incident to speak with their Head of House so they could receive specialist support.

Authorities and the school were contacted for additional comment.