Former pupil and local MS 'shocked' by 'awful' incident
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
and Wales' First Minister Vaughan Gething were both "shocked" at reports of a stabbing at a secondary school in south-west Wales.
Police have said three people are injured and are receiving treatment after an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.
Local Senedd member Adam Price, who is a former pupil at the school, said it was “extremely shocking and saddening to hear of this awful incident”.
“It is a very close-knit community and not
something any of us would have imagine would have happed in our community,” said the MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.
He praised school staff and emergency services
for their responses, adding that his thoughts “are very much with those who
have been injured and their families”.
Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies said the incident as "extremely concerning".
“Schools should be a place of safety, learning and discovery," he said.
"It is deeply sad and distressing that today teachers and pupils have had that safety shattered by a violent incident."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Former Ysgol Dyffryn Aman school pupil Adam Price was the former leader of Plaid CymruImage caption: Former Ysgol Dyffryn Aman school pupil Adam Price was the former leader of Plaid Cymru
Analysis
A terrifying scenario, but all schools have lockdown plans
Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor
No school wants to imagine an outbreak of violence, but all have
lockdown plans.
The emergency planning advice from Carmarthenshire County Council suggests all external doors should be locked, pupils and staff should
remain in or retreat to classrooms which can be locked or barricaded. Blinds
and curtains should be drawn, and mobiles put on silent.
It is a terrifying
scenario for parents, but these plans are aimed at keeping pupils and teachers
safe. A whole or partial school lockdown buys time for emergency services
to intervene.
In the UK, violence on school premises is so rare the incidents linger in
public consciousness - the stabbing of headteacher Philip Lawrence at his
school gates in London in 1995 and the mass shooting in Dunblane the following
year.
More recently, a man carrying a knife was intercepted at a school in
Slough by the headteacher who kept him talking. No one was hurt on that
occasion.
Emotional parent 'relieved' as children let out
Parents are expressing their relief and joy to be reunited with their children after many stood for hours at the gates of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, unsure when they would see them.
Emma
from Ammanford was among those facing an anxious wait to see her daughter, 16, who has now been let out of lockdown.
She says she’s "relieved" to be reunited with her daughter, but had been in touch with her by phone throughout the day.
“It’s
very unusual for this area,” she adds.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Emma from Ammanford says she's "relieved" to be reunited with her daughter after a tense few hoursImage caption: Emma from Ammanford says she's "relieved" to be reunited with her daughter after a tense few hours
No teacher should have to fear being assaulted, union says
A school governor told Wales Online that two staff members had been injured after reports of a stabbing the a Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in south-west Wales.
Responding to those reports, Dr
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers union, has described today's incident as "extremely distressing".
"Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary, and it will be
of the utmost concern for every teacher whenever that sense of safety and
security has been broken," he says.
“No
teacher should have to fear being assaulted at work, and everything that can be
done must be done to ensure the safety of staff and pupils."
Police to give update at 17:30
Dyfed-Powys Police has said it will give an update this afternoon on today's incident.
The force will not be holding a press conference, but Supt Ross Evans will be at the school to read a statement at 17:30 BST.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Watch: Relatives outside school react to incident
Relatives of pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, who have been gathered outside the school, have been reacting
to news of this morning’s incident.
The BBC has been speaking with Luke Poole, who has
relatives in the school.
Video content
Video caption: Reaction after Ammanford school incidentReaction after Ammanford school incident
Pupils were told 'code red, you're in lockdown', head girl says
BBCCopyright: BBC
Head Girl Megan Keyte says it was the first time pupils had heard "code red"Image caption: Head Girl Megan Keyte says it was the first time pupils had heard "code red"
Megan Keyte, 18, head girl at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, says the incident was “quite out of the blue”.
“I haven’t got any lessons today so I was having a work-from-home day, trying to finish deadlines before exams. One of my friends was inside just trying to do her psychology lesson and they were told ‘code red, you’re in lockdown’.”
Megan says this has never happened before and they’ve never heard the words "code red".
“We’ve never really needed it. Obviously there are precautions in place if there was something to happen.”
She says there are lots of rumours going round, “but it’s just children being children”.
“You never expect something like this to happen in our school or this area. But it shows how the community comes together so quickly,” she says.
BreakingChildren leaving school
Children are now being let out of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after the school had been placed into lockdown.
Police and ambulance services remain at the scene as pupils file out of the building.
BBCCopyright: BBC
BreakingIncident has been contained, says school
The school has provided an update, saying the incident has now been "contained".
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman says family members of the three people injured in the incident have been informed.
"We would like to reassure parents and the public that the incident has been contained," it wrote in a statement on the school website.
BBCCopyright: BBC
What do we know at this point?
As parents continue to wait for news on when their children will be released from the building, here's an update on what we know so far:
One person has been arrested and three injured after an incident at a secondary school in Ammanford, in south-west Wales, police have confirmed
A school governor has told Wales Online two staff members were injured in the incident, at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, which she believed was a stabbing. She said she did not know if any children were hurt
Parents say the school has been placed in lockdown and their children have been told it could be hours before they can go home
Dyfed-Powys Police says it's not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, but its investigation continues. It has not confirmed whether the incident was a stabbing
It's urging people not to share footage of the incident on social media or speculate about what happened
Emergency services, including two air ambulances, have been in attendance at the school
Police said the injured people are receiving treatment, but has not given an update on their condition
BBCCopyright: BBC
Where did the incident happen?
As we've been reporting, emergency services have been in attendance following an incident at a secondary school in Ammanford.
This map shows the location of the school within the Carmarthenshire town, which is about 20 miles (31km) from Swansea.
BBCCopyright: BBC
School lockdown continues
Tomos Morgan
BBC News in Ammanford
Pupils remain inside Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, with clusters of parents gathered outside hoping to collect their sons and daughters.
Meanwhile, coaches are lined up to transport those who cannot be collected by parents and guardians.
But when the children will be able to leave the building is as yet unknown.
Parents say the message they're getting from their children is they've been warned they could be kept there for several hours.
BBCCopyright: BBC
A 'horrifying incident', teaching union says
A teaching union has described today's incident in Ammanford as "horrifying".
Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, says: “While we don’t know the full details of what has happened, this is clearly a horrifying incident and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected at the school and in the wider community.”
Sunak 'shocked' by incident in Ammanford
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he’s “shocked” by the incident in Ammanford.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Sunak says: "I want to thank the police and emergency services for their ongoing response and my thoughts are with all those affected."
Home Secretary James Cleverly has also commented, saying he was being kept informed about the events in Ammanford.
He adds: "I want to thank the police and emergency service for their ongoing response. It is important they are given the space to carry out their investigations."
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary James Cleverly have reacted to the incidentImage caption: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary James Cleverly have reacted to the incident
BreakingTwo staff members injured, school governor tells local media
Councillor Karen Davies, a governor at the school, has told Wales Online she believes the incident was a stabbing and that two members of staff were injured.
"I have no confirmation on how serious the injuries are," she says.
Earlier, Dyfed-Powys Police said three people were injured in the incident.
Davies says she doesn't know whether any children were injured.
"I send my thoughts to those injured and all the people there. I know how well the school rehearsed lockdown and I am sure everything is under control.”
"It is shocking. You hear about these things happening in Manchester and London but it is literally our comprehensive here."
Police warn people to remove footage from social media
Dyfed-Powys Police has said it's "aware of footage of the incident currently circulating on social media".
The force is asking those who have posted footage to remove it "to avoid contempt of court and distressing those affected".
The force adds: "We would ask the people do not speculate while there is a police investigation ongoing."
Very rare to hear of something like this, says parent
BBCCopyright: BBC
Justin Williams said he was worried about those injured in the incidentImage caption: Justin Williams said he was worried about those injured in the incident
Justin Williams, whose daughter is in year seven at the school, says his wife rang him when she heard about the incident.
"Our connections are ok but we’re now worried about the people who have been injured," he tells BBC Wales.
“It’s not something you hear of in Ammanford - for a close community, it’s very rare that you hear of something like this in the area.”
'Many parents are here waiting for their children'
Meleri Grug Williams
Three people have been injured in an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, south-west Wales.
Dyfed-Powys Police say they are receiving medical treatment, while one person has been arrested.
No one else is being looked at in connection with the incident, but police say their investigation is ongoing.
Video content
Video caption: 'Many parents are here waiting for their children''Many parents are here waiting for their children'
What do we know so far?
Here's a recap of what we know so far:
One person has been arrested and three injured after an incident at a secondary school in the Amman Valley, in south-west Wales, police have confirmed
Dyfed-Powys Police said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, but its investigation continues
There have been reports that a stabbing has taken place at the school, though the police force has not commented on this. It said the injured people were receiving treatment
Emergency services, including two air ambulances, have been in attendance at the school, Ysgol Dyffryn Aman
Parents say the school has been placed in lockdown
BBCCopyright: BBC
People have gathered outside the schoolImage caption: People have gathered outside the school
First minister 'shocked' by 'serious incident'
First Minister Vaughan Gething says he's "shocked to hear news of serious incident" in Ammanford.
"A deeply worrying time for the school, families and community. Diolch [thank you] to first responders," he says.
Live Reporting
Catriona Aitken, Peter Shuttleworth and Oliver Slow
All times stated are UK
Former pupil and local MS 'shocked' by 'awful' incident
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Wales' First Minister Vaughan Gething were both "shocked" at reports of a stabbing at a secondary school in south-west Wales.
Police have said three people are injured and are receiving treatment after an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.
Local Senedd member Adam Price, who is a former pupil at the school, said it was “extremely shocking and saddening to hear of this awful incident”.
“It is a very close-knit community and not something any of us would have imagine would have happed in our community,” said the MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.
He praised school staff and emergency services for their responses, adding that his thoughts “are very much with those who have been injured and their families”.
Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies said the incident as "extremely concerning".
“Schools should be a place of safety, learning and discovery," he said.
"It is deeply sad and distressing that today teachers and pupils have had that safety shattered by a violent incident."
A terrifying scenario, but all schools have lockdown plans
Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor
No school wants to imagine an outbreak of violence, but all have lockdown plans.
The emergency planning advice from Carmarthenshire County Council suggests all external doors should be locked, pupils and staff should remain in or retreat to classrooms which can be locked or barricaded. Blinds and curtains should be drawn, and mobiles put on silent.
It is a terrifying scenario for parents, but these plans are aimed at keeping pupils and teachers safe. A whole or partial school lockdown buys time for emergency services to intervene.
In the UK, violence on school premises is so rare the incidents linger in public consciousness - the stabbing of headteacher Philip Lawrence at his school gates in London in 1995 and the mass shooting in Dunblane the following year.
More recently, a man carrying a knife was intercepted at a school in Slough by the headteacher who kept him talking. No one was hurt on that occasion.
Emotional parent 'relieved' as children let out
Parents are expressing their relief and joy to be reunited with their children after many stood for hours at the gates of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, unsure when they would see them.
Emma from Ammanford was among those facing an anxious wait to see her daughter, 16, who has now been let out of lockdown.
She says she’s "relieved" to be reunited with her daughter, but had been in touch with her by phone throughout the day.
“It’s very unusual for this area,” she adds.
No teacher should have to fear being assaulted, union says
A school governor told Wales Online that two staff members had been injured after reports of a stabbing the a Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in south-west Wales.
Responding to those reports, Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers union, has described today's incident as "extremely distressing".
"Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary, and it will be of the utmost concern for every teacher whenever that sense of safety and security has been broken," he says.
“No teacher should have to fear being assaulted at work, and everything that can be done must be done to ensure the safety of staff and pupils."
Police to give update at 17:30
Dyfed-Powys Police has said it will give an update this afternoon on today's incident.
The force will not be holding a press conference, but Supt Ross Evans will be at the school to read a statement at 17:30 BST.
Watch: Relatives outside school react to incident
Relatives of pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, who have been gathered outside the school, have been reacting to news of this morning’s incident.
The BBC has been speaking with Luke Poole, who has relatives in the school.
Video content
Pupils were told 'code red, you're in lockdown', head girl says
Megan Keyte, 18, head girl at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, says the incident was “quite out of the blue”.
“I haven’t got any lessons today so I was having a work-from-home day, trying to finish deadlines before exams. One of my friends was inside just trying to do her psychology lesson and they were told ‘code red, you’re in lockdown’.”
Megan says this has never happened before and they’ve never heard the words "code red".
“We’ve never really needed it. Obviously there are precautions in place if there was something to happen.”
She says there are lots of rumours going round, “but it’s just children being children”.
“You never expect something like this to happen in our school or this area. But it shows how the community comes together so quickly,” she says.
BreakingChildren leaving school
Children are now being let out of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after the school had been placed into lockdown.
Police and ambulance services remain at the scene as pupils file out of the building.
BreakingIncident has been contained, says school
The school has provided an update, saying the incident has now been "contained".
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman says family members of the three people injured in the incident have been informed.
"We would like to reassure parents and the public that the incident has been contained," it wrote in a statement on the school website.
What do we know at this point?
As parents continue to wait for news on when their children will be released from the building, here's an update on what we know so far:
Where did the incident happen?
As we've been reporting, emergency services have been in attendance following an incident at a secondary school in Ammanford.
This map shows the location of the school within the Carmarthenshire town, which is about 20 miles (31km) from Swansea.
School lockdown continues
Tomos Morgan
BBC News in Ammanford
Pupils remain inside Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, with clusters of parents gathered outside hoping to collect their sons and daughters.
Meanwhile, coaches are lined up to transport those who cannot be collected by parents and guardians.
But when the children will be able to leave the building is as yet unknown.
Parents say the message they're getting from their children is they've been warned they could be kept there for several hours.
A 'horrifying incident', teaching union says
A teaching union has described today's incident in Ammanford as "horrifying".
Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, says: “While we don’t know the full details of what has happened, this is clearly a horrifying incident and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected at the school and in the wider community.”
Sunak 'shocked' by incident in Ammanford
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he’s “shocked” by the incident in Ammanford.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Sunak says: "I want to thank the police and emergency services for their ongoing response and my thoughts are with all those affected."
Home Secretary James Cleverly has also commented, saying he was being kept informed about the events in Ammanford.
He adds: "I want to thank the police and emergency service for their ongoing response. It is important they are given the space to carry out their investigations."
BreakingTwo staff members injured, school governor tells local media
Councillor Karen Davies, a governor at the school, has told Wales Online she believes the incident was a stabbing and that two members of staff were injured.
"I have no confirmation on how serious the injuries are," she says.
Earlier, Dyfed-Powys Police said three people were injured in the incident.
Davies says she doesn't know whether any children were injured.
"I send my thoughts to those injured and all the people there. I know how well the school rehearsed lockdown and I am sure everything is under control.”
"It is shocking. You hear about these things happening in Manchester and London but it is literally our comprehensive here."
Police warn people to remove footage from social media
Dyfed-Powys Police has said it's "aware of footage of the incident currently circulating on social media".
The force is asking those who have posted footage to remove it "to avoid contempt of court and distressing those affected".
The force adds: "We would ask the people do not speculate while there is a police investigation ongoing."
Very rare to hear of something like this, says parent
Justin Williams, whose daughter is in year seven at the school, says his wife rang him when she heard about the incident.
"Our connections are ok but we’re now worried about the people who have been injured," he tells BBC Wales.
“It’s not something you hear of in Ammanford - for a close community, it’s very rare that you hear of something like this in the area.”
'Many parents are here waiting for their children'
Meleri Grug Williams
Three people have been injured in an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, south-west Wales.
Dyfed-Powys Police say they are receiving medical treatment, while one person has been arrested.
No one else is being looked at in connection with the incident, but police say their investigation is ongoing.
Video content
What do we know so far?
Here's a recap of what we know so far:
First minister 'shocked' by 'serious incident'
First Minister Vaughan Gething says he's "shocked to hear news of serious incident" in Ammanford.
"A deeply worrying time for the school, families and community. Diolch [thank you] to first responders," he says.