Armed police descended on New College Swindon's Queens Drive campus on Friday morning following reports of a male with a knife. The incident prompted a lockdown at the college, with students and staff instructed to stay out of sight.
Wiltshire Police confirmed they were called to the scene at approximately 11am. Officers, including armed units, were seen at the entrance of the campus, with multiple police cars and unmarked vehicles in the area.
In a Facebook post, New College Swindon stated: "We are currently managing an incident at our Queens Drive campus. Police are in attendance, and as a precaution, we have initiated a lockdown." The college advised that further updates would be shared as information became available.
The situation was later scaled down after police detained two males. Searches were carried out, but no knife was found. A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "We attended New College in Swindon at approximately 11am today following a report a male had been seen with a knife. Officers attended and two males were detained. Searches were carried out and no knife was found."
Following the all-clear from police, the lockdown was lifted. The college confirmed that two males had been detained and searches conducted, with no knife recovered.
