A school was put into ‘partial lockdown’ after police were called to reports that a man had been seen with a ‘gun’.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed its officers patrolled the Shevington area on Thursday morning (October 9).
It is understood that police were alerted after a concerned person saw a pointed object sticking out of a bag, which they believed to be a firearm.
However following a search of the surrounding area, police said no weapon was found, the M.E.N reports.
An email was sent by Shevington High School to parents and carers yesterday morning, informing them that the school was “briefly placed in partial lockdown as a precautionary measure”.
In an email sent shortly before 9am, John Bennett, headteacher at Shevington High School, said the initial report came from a student and police were ‘informed immediately’.
Mr Bennett said: “This morning, we briefly placed the school in partial lockdown as a precautionary measure following a report from a student who believed they had seen something of concern near the school grounds.
“The police were informed immediately and attended the scene. After speaking with the students involved, they were reassured that there was no immediate risk to pupils or staff.
“Based on their assessment, the police advised that it was safe for the school to come out of partial lockdown. The police have confirmed they will continue to patrol the local area today as a reassurance measure.
“At all times, our students and staff were safe, and our procedures worked effectively and calmly. We appreciate your support and understanding as we take every precaution to ensure the safety of everyone in our school community.”
A GMP Wigan spokesperson said: “This morning officers responded to a report of a male with a weapon in Shevington in the vicinity of a school in the local area.
“Our response team were deployed to the area. A local school went into partial lockdown as a precautionary measure.
“An area search was conducted and no male carrying a weapon was located. We do not believe there to be any threat to the wider community.”
Shevington High School was approached for comment.
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