Two 18-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after reports of an armed person near a Surrey school triggered a lockdown at three education facilities on Tuesday afternoon.
Police received a 999 call at 3pm reporting an individual allegedly carrying a weapon on Bell Farm Way in Hersham. Armed officers were among those deployed to the scene, arriving within eight minutes, and road closures were put in place. The two suspects were detained at the scene and remain in police custody.
“Two 18-year-olds arrested after reports of a weapon near Three Rivers Academy in Hersham triggered lockdown at three schools.”
Three Rivers Academy initiated a temporary lockdown procedure as a precaution to safeguard staff and students. A statement on the school’s website at the time read: “We are currently in lockdown by instruction from the police due to an outside incident. All students inside school are safe.”
Nearby Three Rivers Primary School and Toad Hall Nursery also placed themselves into lockdown after communication with the academy. All lockdowns have since been lifted, and students, staff and children have left all three sites.
Elmbridge Borough Commander Inspector Chris Thoday said: “We take any report of this nature extremely seriously and had officers at the scene within minutes. The school and other education facilities nearby also quickly instigated their well-prepared safeguarding plans to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. We fully understand how concerning incidents like this are for our community and our investigation into the circumstances continues.”
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward if they have not already been spoken to.
