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Man 'seen wielding gun' near school in Knaresborough Armed police respond to hoax calls in Knaresborough
(about 3 hours later)
Children were told to remain inside their school in a North Yorkshire town after reports a man was seen wielding a gun. Hoax calls brought the centre of a town to a standstill as armed police responded to what they believed was an "immediate threat" to the public.
The High Street in Knaresborough, near Harrogate, was closed and pupils at King James High School were asked to stay inside by police. North Yorkshire Police said the incident, in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, was based on calls to themselves and a neighbouring force.
Officers said they were investigating an "incident" in the town. The High Street was closed for around four hours and pupils at a nearby school were asked to stay inside.
Pupils at the school have since been allowed to leave the premises. An investigation into the "malicious" call has been launched.
A spokesman for the school said: "We got the call at about 4.55pm. We were told to keep all students we had in school in the building. We then got the all-clear, and we were told just to avoid the High Street." 'Alarming incident'
The school has around 1,800 students. Officers said the hoax call was focused on a restaurant and their primary concern had been to ensure the safety of the public.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy said: "This was a very alarming incident for members of the public and we would like to thank the communities of Knaresborough for their patience and co-operation while the police dealt with it.
"This includes the businesses who were affected by the safety cordons and the premises at the centre of the hoax."