A school in Hartlepool was placed under lockdown after a teacher was violently attacked in front of students.
According to The Mirror, the shocking incident unfolded at Manor Community Academy in Hartlepool, England, around 11:15AM on Thursday (April 3) morning.
Witnesses described a scene of confusion and fear as classrooms were sealed and teachers rushed to secure students.
“We were in third lesson, and all of a sudden, the lockdown alarms started going off, and all the classrooms got locked. Everyone was like ‘what’s going on?’” one student said.
"Then we saw one of the teachers bleeding and crying - there was blood on his face. It was awful. It all just went crazy - there were crowds of people trying to get out of the school. And then now there's about 200 parents outside the school waiting to get kids," they added.
Cleveland Police confirmed that a teacher had been assaulted, and two teenagers were arrested in connection with the attack, per Teesside Live.
“At 11.30AM on Thursday 3rd April police were called to Manor Community College in Hartlepool after reports a teacher had been assaulted,” a spokesperson said.
“No weapons were reported to have been used and no other pupils injured. As a precaution, the school put itself on lockdown," the statement continued. "Officers attended to the scene and two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of assault and there is no ongoing threat to the pupils or staff within the school.”
Per Northern Education Trust, which manages the school, the event involved “unauthorised individuals” who managed to breach school grounds.
“Staff took immediate effective action to contain the situation, ensuring students were safe by securing classrooms,” the trust said in a statement.
“Police were called and attended the academy, removing the intruders. No students were harmed or threatened during the incident, and all students are safe. A number of parents attended the academy when they became aware of the incident and the decision was taken to allow parents to take their children home if they wished to," they added.
Parents flooded the school gates shortly after news of the assault broke. “There are kids crying and everything. It’s really bad,” one parent said.
Despite the alarming scene, the trust confirmed that the school remains open and will operate normally on Friday. “The safety of students and staff is always our prime concern, and the staff who dealt immediately with this situation are to be commended. They acted swiftly and in line with the trust’s established procedures to ensure all children were safe.”
Nearby St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School also addressed concerns from parents on a Facebook post, which read. “We have spoken to police who have reassured us not to worry and that our children are safe to play outside. The incident at Manor School is contained and under control."
In addition to this, a spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said that they were called to the scene, but their services “were not required".