A school in North Shields entered a lockdown today after a teenager was reportedly seen with a pen knife outside the gates. John Spence Community High School initiated what has been described as a 'precautionary measure' just after 2pm on Thursday.
Northumbria Police attended the scene but did not find the pen knife in question, despite a belief that the report was made 'in good faith'. No injuries were sustained and there is said to be 'no wider risk' to members of the public, so the lockdown, which was a decision made by the school management, was lifted shortly afterwards.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "At 2.15pm today (Thursday) we received a report of a disturbance outside a school on Preston North Road in North Shields. It was reported that a person was outside the front gates to the building while in possession of a pen knife."
"Officers attended the scene and although the report is believed to have been made in good faith, no pen knife has been located. No-one is reported to have been injured and there is no wider risk to the public. A decision was made by school management to go into a voluntary lockdown for precautionary measures which ended a short time later."
In a message to understandably concerned parents, the school wrote: "Students reported a teenager outside the school gates with a knife. He was quickly removed and the school initiated a precautionary lockdown. The police are on site and have checked the perimeter and the local area and there have been no further sightings. For peace of mind the police will remain on site at the end of the school day."
