Gun is gift for teacher from girl, 8

A PRIMARY teacher in the United States received a surprise end-of-term present from one of her eight-year-old pupils - a loaded handgun.

The gun was in a box of toiletries handed to the female teacher in the car park of Allamanda Elementary school in Palm Springs, Florida, by the girl pupil's grandmother on Tuesday.

It is thought the girl may have put the gun in the parcel without her grandmother knowing. The teacher only discovered the .22 weapon when she arrived home.

Police in Palm Beach County have since launched an investigation into the incident.

In a statement, the school authorities said that at no point was the gun actually taken into the school.

It added that no-one was threatened or injured during the incident and that the gun had been handed over as a gift "apparently unintentionally".