Primary pupils are being warned to stay away from a vicious badger in the grounds of their school.
The creature has been spotted in the car park of Auldearn Primary in Inverness.
Farmer Craig Philip issued an alert after spotting the beast last week.
He said: “I’m not wanting to alarm people but they could take a child’s hand off.
"Kids in the playground may see the badger and think it’s safe to approach it and they could feed it with some titbits.
“But that would be extremely dangerous.
“What worries me is I saw it in broad daylight and badgers are nocturnal creatures.
"It was about 1.30pm, I could hear children in the playground and I saw the badger bold as brass running through the car park and then into the garden of my cousin’s house.”
Former Highland Council convener Sandy Park, who lives nearby, said the creature would also present a threat to pets.
She added: “They would tear a dog to bits and it’s worrying that it has been seen in the grounds of the school.”
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