A desperate member of society sought refuge at Birmingham High School after hiding from an “armed man”. This prompted Heartlands Academy to go into complete blockade for more than an hour this afternoon.
West Midlands police confirmed that a man had entered the school in Nechels, believing that another man outside had a gun. The school then followed its own policy and the block came into force.
Parents were unable to pick up their children from the school after the incident at around 3pm today, Monday, May 9th. The children were released shortly after 4.30 pm – about an hour and 20 minutes after the school day was due to end.
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Police said they had stepped up patrols. No arrests were made. Video surveillance is being checked to find out what happened and the investigation is ongoing.
One parent, a father of two, said he was unaware of what had happened. He told BirminghamLive: “I was told it was suspicious and I had to keep the children in school.”
His teenage son added: “We were at the Academy for an hour until it was safe to go out. We just stayed in class. “
A police spokesman told BirminghamLive: “Heartlands Academy went on blockade this afternoon, according to school policy, after a member of the community sought refuge from a man she believed had a gun.
“Officers immediately stepped up patrols and studied CCTV cameras to find out what happened. No one was injured.”
The school was not available for comment.
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