St Leonards school locked down following ‘serious incident’

St Leonards Academy said a ‘prohibited item was carried onto the school premises by a Year 7 student’.

As a result, the academy implemented a temporary lockdown to protect fellow students and staff members until police arrived.

A police spokesman confirmed the ‘prohibited item’ was a BB gun.

Officers were called to the school at 8.34am on Friday to a report of a boy holding ‘what appeared to be a gun’ in the vicinity of St Leonards Academy.

A spokesman for the University of Brighton Academies Trust, which operates the school, said: “Following a serious incident at The St Leonard’s Academy this morning, we can confirm a prohibited item was carried onto the school premises by a Year 7 student.

“The academy moved quickly to successfully implement a temporary lockdown to protect fellow students and staff members until police were in attendance.

“Within minutes, the incident was under control, and the academy is now functioning as normal. Student Welfare Officers are on-site to comfort any students that have been distressed by the incident.

“I want to assure our parents, carers and the broader community that we take these incidents very seriously, but thankfully they are very rare.

“This incident has now been passed over to the police to conduct a full investigation. So we will not be making any further comments at this time.”

Sussex Police said: “The boy was identified and the item was confirmed as a BB gun. There was no risk to the public or those at the school.

“Officers are now liaising with the school and enquiries are ongoing.”