Several schools went into lockdown this afternoon following reports of a ‘man with a firearm’ in a town in the UK. The police responded to the situation in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, after receiving information about a suspicious male carrying a gun in the town center around 3.15 pm. As a precautionary measure, multiple local schools implemented lockdown safety protocols, keeping students inside their premises.
Byrchall High School, Cansfield, and St Oswald’s RC Primary were among the schools that activated emergency procedures. Nearby shops close to the incident location also temporarily shut down this afternoon. A concerned parent, whose child attends one of the affected schools, mentioned that access to the school was restricted, and students were sheltering indoors while a significant police presence was observed.
Parents and caregivers of students at Byrchall High School received a notification regarding the lockdown status, informing them that all students inside the school were safe and under staff supervision. The message stated that due to the ongoing incident in Ashton, the school had been advised to go into lockdown, and further updates would be provided in due course. It also conveyed that phone lines were temporarily unavailable.
A spokesperson from Greater Manchester Police stated that they responded to a suspected firearms sighting on Gerard Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, at approximately 3.15 pm. No injuries were reported, and armed officers, along with neighborhood patrols, were deployed to the area. Two individuals were stopped and searched, but no firearms were found.
Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to email updates for the top stories of the day.