Police Investigate Threat at Cedar Mount Academy
Police are currently investigating a reported "threat" at Cedar Mount Academy, located on Wembley Road in Gorton, Greater Manchester. Following the alert, pupils were instructed to remain in their classrooms, leading to widespread uncertainty about the situation.
Emergency services responded promptly, with officers attending the scene and a stretcher being seen removed from an ambulance.
Greater Manchester Police issued a statement confirming that they have "identified no ongoing risk or threat to anyone in the school." They added, "We're remaining at the school to provide reassurance as we start to investigate the circumstances behind the reported threat."
Parents Express Concern and Describe School Lockdown
Parent Donna Whelan described the immediate "panic and worry" that arose upon receiving a message from her daughter indicating the school was in lockdown.
"Everything runs thorugh your mind because you see these threats nowadays, some of them are real,"
Whelan further recounted that another student messaged her father claiming someone was inside the school with a knife, which heightened her anxiety, especially when communication from her daughter paused.
"Another girl has messaged her dad saying that someone's in there with a knife and then I'm panicking because then she stopped messaging me for a bit and I'm thinking what's going on in there?"
She also received videos showing pupils hiding under tables and gathered in a corner on the floor.
Subsequently, the school sent a message confirming that all individuals were "safe and well in the building" and that staff were following "precautionary procedures."
Whelan mentioned that a police officer outside the school informed parents that the incident involved "two kids fighting, one from this school, one from another school."
"We were informed that someone's come with a gun and now they've found the child and it's a water gun,"
she added.
Criticism Over Communication and Parental Concerns
Another parent, who identified herself only as Sam, criticized the school for inadequate communication during the incident.
"This has been happening since 9:30am,"
she said.
"They've not really been communicating. They sent us a message about 10:30 saying a situation has happened and the school is in lockdown and that was it.
We're just getting pictures and messages of children under the tables. It's just been ridiculous."
Sam expressed feelings of being let down by the school and questioned whether she wanted her children to continue attending.
"The school have let me down because I've got my trust in the school - I've got two children here,"
she stated.
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