I live 5 minutes from the school in question so technically I'm surrounded by their little darlings where I live. Fortunately I live on the second floor so they can't be arsed to walk up the stairs to cause trouble LOL
The National Union of Teachers geezer who was on the local news talking about it was my primary school teacher, and he used to smack his pupils - even as recently as 1980. I know cos I was one of them!