A secondary school in Eccles, Greater Manchester was placed into emergency lockdown on Wednesday after reports of a male 'acting suspiciously' in an alleyway behind the school. St Patrick's High School on New Lane implemented the procedures, prompting a police response. Officers attended the scene and conducted a search, but the man had fled before their arrival. No arrests have been made.
Parents were alerted via a note stating there had been a 'break-in' before the school day started, and it was feared the suspected intruder 'may have returned'. The message advised parents not to come to the school and assured them that children were being kept safe during the lockdown. One parent told the Manchester Evening News that children were 'locked into the school' and had to be collected by a parent or guardian.
Following the incident, the school issued a statement thanking staff and parents for their cooperation. It confirmed that all children and staff remained safe throughout and that the school would be open as normal the next day. Greater Manchester Police confirmed a search was carried out outside the premises.
The incident in Eccles comes on the same day as a separate lockdown in Bristol, where three schools were placed on alert following a shooting. Avon and Somerset Police responded to the incident in the Speedwell area, where a man in his 20s was taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries. The suspect, described as white, aged late teens or early 20s, slim build and about 6ft tall, fled on a black and grey electric bike. He was wearing a grey hoodie, black trousers and a balaclava.
