A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after three people were injured with “a sharp object” at a secondary school in Sheffield.
Birley Academy was put into lockdown on Wednesday morning as a teenager was detained following the incident. South Yorkshire Police said.
In a statement, the force added: “Two adults were checked over at the scene after suffering minor injuries.
“A child was also checked over after being assaulted.
“A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody.”
Officers are at the scene after responding to reports of an incident involving a sharp object at the school on Birley Lane at around 8.50am.
The school went into lockdown and told parents not to attend the premises, but said all staff and students were safe.
“This morning we went into lockdown as a precaution following an incident at the school,” it said in a statement on X/Twitter.
“This was not a decision taken lightly but the safety of students and staff is paramount. All students and staff are safe. “We are working closely with the police and will update shortly.”
Birley Academy is a secondary school in the southeast of Sheffield, with around 1,100 pupils.
It is unclear whether the alleged incident involved a knife, as police reports say the person was armed with a “sharp object.”
One mother outside the school told the BBC that she had received a text from her daughter saying the school was “in lockdown, the lights had gone off, the doors were locked and she was hiding under her desk.”
“It was really scary. I asked if she was joking because it seemed like a really surreal situation,” she told the broadcaster.
“She has told me she was OK since then and I’m quite reassured that she is safe.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was “disturbed” to hear about the incident at The Birley Academy.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “We’re in touch with the school and my thoughts are with those injured and all the school community affected by this frightening situation.”
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