Pupils at Barton Hill Academy in Bristol were placed into a brief lockdown after armed police were called to reports of a man with a bladed weapon nearby.
Incident on Queen Ann Road
Avon and Somerset Police said officers were dispatched to Queen Ann Road, in the Barton Hill area, following a report of a man seen with a bladed weapon behind a disused building.
The school was asked to keep pupils on the school grounds for their safety while searches were carried out in the surrounding area, according to Bristol Live.
Police response and searches
Armed officers were deployed as a precaution and conducted searches, but no weapon was found, police said in a statement. A police drone was seen flying overhead during the operation.
Pupils have since been released, but police remain at the scene as the area continues to be searched.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “At 2.23pm we received a report of a man seen with a bladed weapon behind a disused building in Queen Ann Road. As a precaution, armed officers were deployed and have carried out searches in the surrounding area, however no weapon has been found. While searches were ongoing, a nearby school was asked to briefly keep its pupils on the school grounds, but they have since been released.”
