Students in lockdown after 'gun' threat

THOUSANDS of students were put in lockdown after a "gun" threat was made against Tameside College.

An anonymous social media user threatened to arrive at the college with a loaded firearm at 11am yesterday.

The post was made in reply to a college tweet welcoming students back to lessons after the Easter break.

Just an hour later a similar threat was made about an attack at Bury College.

Police later confirmed both threats were "not credible".

Locked

Around 2,000 students and members of staff were locked inside classrooms while police dealt with the threat to Tameside College, on Beaufort Road, Ashton.

All gates at the site were locked and students arriving late were told to go home.

Worried parents gathered outside the college waiting to hear updates while their children were locked inside.

Evacuated

Students were evacuated from all sites at the college and asked to go straight home at around 11.30am.

The college said the evacuation was a precaution and evening classes were cancelled, but the college would be open as normal today.

A spokeswoman for Bury College said no lockdown procedure took place, but security was tightened as a result of the threat.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Enquiries were conducted and the threats were deemed not credible."