CONCERNS that an incident today involving a student with a knife led to a lockdown at Stanford-le-Hope's St Clere's School have been dismissed by the school, where head Ashlie Hughes has issued an email to parents in a bid to quash rumours which have been quickly fuelled by social media speculation.

Mrs Hughes, who has stressed no one was at school with knife, says the 'lockdown' at the school which took place just before the end of the school day this afternoon (Wednesday, 5 February), was a planned security exercise and that at no point were any pupils in danger.

She has told parents: "We carried out a brief lockdown procedure today which lasted approximately ten minutes. Many pupils will not have been aware, while others who may have been in external areas will have been aware of teachers ensuring they stayed in the correct place.

"It is a health and safety requirement for us to ensure we have correct fire and lockdown procedures in place.

"Testing of such procedures are carried out regularly.

"Pupils and staff have been informed that the context of the incident today was a test which was completed by 3pm."

Social media reports that police were at the school have not been substantiated.

Last month Hathaway Academy in Grays was the subject to a lockdown with a real time incident involving a young person who did have a knife on school premises. Its lockdown, which had previously been rehearsed, was put into force and children kept safe while staff and police dealt with the incident. (See red button below).

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Mrs Hughes says she will fully brief students at the school about the lockdown and why the school needs to ensure it is ready to meet any emergencies.