NORWICH, England — A police raid at a school in England led to the arrest of a 15-year-old pupil who had a “treasure trove” of Nazi drawings and sketches in a notebook.
The boy, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, attends Smith-Middlebury School in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
The headteacher was alerted to the possibility the pupil was hoarding Nazi art when a biology teacher said the boy was often unprepared for exams and seemed angry all the time. The boy also spent a lot of time sketching during lessons instead of taking notes.
Chief Constable Mark Hall said police officers confiscated the boy’s school sack, in which they found a notebook full of Nazi artwork. Most of the pieces were poor, pen-drawn caricatures of teachers, classmates and other people the boy disliked.
The majority of the faces were covered with swastikas or Hitler-style mustaches, while others just looked rather Nazi-like in nature.
“The suspect obviously thought he could get away with having his secret stash of Nazi art,” Chief Constable Hall said. “He thought he could keep the treasures hidden from the world, only for himself to enjoy.”
Police say the boy made efforts to conceal the artwork. On the notebook’s cover, he had written the words “stay out, wanker,” and he often drew the swastika inverted, figuring this would fool authorities into believing the pieces weren’t authentic.
This is the second time a student at Smith-Middlebury School has been in hot water for hoarding illegal art. In May of 2007, police arrested a 14-year-old girl who was in possession of a novel called “Twilight” that authorities say depicts implied underage sex acts.
(Photos courtesy of Norfolk Constabulary)