Armed police called to school over 'hostage' report

Officers responded to a "potential hostage-taking incident" at Abbeyfield School, police said

Armed police were deployed to a secondary school following reports of masked men carrying knives.

Northamptonshire Police said officers were called to a "potential hostage-taking incident" at Abbeyfield School in Mereway, Northampton, shortly after 14:15 BST on Friday.

The school was put into an emergency lockdown and a police helicopter was deployed.

A force spokesperson said the school was searched but that nobody had been taken hostage and no injuries were suffered.

Police said that while the incident was "deeply upsetting", it was not terrorism-related

They said: "Following a search of the school, we can confirm that nobody has been taken hostage, nobody has suffered any injuries, no weapons have been recovered and nobody has been arrested in connection with any offences.

"While we understand this was a deeply upsetting turn of events, we would like to reassure members of the school community and those living within the immediate vicinity of the school that police are not treating this as a terrorism-related incident."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101.