Ebbw Vale school on lockdown after ‘threats’ made to pupil and teen arrested

A Welsh school was placed in partial lockdown after a teenage pupil allegedly received threatening messages.

Gwent Police said Ebbw Fawr Learning Community in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, was placed into lockdown at around 10.20am on Friday.

The force said it had arrested a teenage boy on suspicion of making threats.

A police spokeswoman added: “The arrest did not take place on school premises and was not in the Ebbw Vale area. Our inquiries are ongoing.”

The spokeswoman said police officers had attended the school, where they remained to provide reassurance.

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Parents were alerted to the situation by text messages from the school.

One message shared on social media read: “All students are safe in classrooms and all doors and access points are locked.

“The police have arrived and there is no risk inside the building.”

Parent Maria Tudor told Wales Online: “We don’t really know what happened. I am going down to the school as soon as I can to pick him up when the lockdown ends. I am extremely worried but am confident the teachers are keeping children safe.”

The school has 1,381 pupils on roll, aged from three up to 16.

The incident comes two days after two teachers and a pupil sustained stab wounds at Amman Valley School in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on Wednesday.

A 13-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday.