A teenage boy has been arrested after Ebbw Fawr Learning Community in Ebbw Vale was placed into partial lockdown earlier today
Police were called to the the secondary campus at around 10:20am this morning and later confirmed that a teenage boy had been arrested on suspicion of making threats.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: "We received a call to report that the secondary campus to Ebbw Fawr Learning Community had been placed in partial lockdown at around 10.20am on Friday 26 April after a teenage boy had allegedly received threatening messages.
Parents were alerted to the situation by text message and social media posts which warned that the campus was in partial lockdown with external doors locked and nobody allowed in or out.
"All students are safe in classrooms and all doors and access points are locked….there is no risk inside the building,” said the social media post.
By mid afternoon the campus was reopened and relieved parents were able to collect pupils
Chief Superintendent Matthew Williams of Gwent Police said, “This morning, we received a report that the secondary campus at Ebbw Fawr Learning Community had been placed in partial lockdown at around 10.20am after a teenage pupil had reportedly received threatening messages.
“Our officers swiftly attended the site and are working with the school to ensure the safety of its learners and reassure parents.
“We have arrested a teenage boy on suspicion of making threats. This arrest didn't take place on school premises and was not made in the Ebbw Vale area. We carried out a search during the arrest, and no offensive weapons were found. He remains in police custody at this time as our enquiries continue.
“We understand the level of concern from parents in the area today, but I'd like to thank the public and the school for following protocol, remaining calm and relaying any concerns they had to us.
“These actions allowed us to act quickly, make an arrest, safeguard pupils and reassure the community.”
A spokesman for Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council said, "Ebbw Fawr Learning Community’s Secondary Campus staff responded quickly and calmly to activate well-established emergency planning procedures that ensure the safety and well-being of learners and staff.
"We worked closely with Gwent Police to ensure the continued safety of everyone on the school site and to reassure concerned parents.
The Ebbw Vale incident comes just days after three teachers were injured in an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.
A 13 year old girl was arrested and has since been charged with three counts of attempted murder.