Birmingham school locked down as staff call police

A school was forced to lockdown after receiving reports of a knifeman nearby. Staff and students at Holyhead Primary and Secondary School, in Handsworth, were kept in the playground on Wednesday as police looked into a 'sighting' of a man with a weapon on Holyhead Road.

Fortunately, the report was found to be false and the pupils were allowed to leave the premises in a 'calm and controlled manner' at 3.35pm. A text message sent by the school read: "At 3.14pm yesterday, we received a report (school leaders including myself were on our way out to open the gates) that a person has been seen not far from the school on Holyhead Road with a knife.

"At that point, I took the decision that we couldn't take any risks and we chose not to open the internal gates, with staff keeping all students outside in the playground as they made their way down from Period 4 lessons to go home."

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They continued: "This became and 'outdoor lockdown' as we assessed the situation outside the school gates and informed the police. When we felt it was safe to release the students at 3.35pm following communication with the police, we did so in a calm and controlled manner as a result of having so many staff outside to support."

West Midlands Police said: "We received a report of a man with a knife on Holyhead Road, Wednesbury at around 3.30pm yesterday (10 July). Following enquiries, the report was found to be false."