Three UK faculties locked down after ‘weapon’ panic as two 18-year-olds arrested

Armed police swarmed the scene near a school in Surrey following reports of a man with a weapon, with two 18-year-olds soon arrested and taken into police custody

Two 18-year-old men have been arrested after two schools and nursery went into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon following reports of a man armed with a weapon in the area.

Officers were called to Bell Farm Way in Hersham at 3pm following reports of a person armed with a weapon at the location. Due to mention of a weapon, armed officers were among those dispatched to the scene, and road closures were put in place along Bell Farm Way.

Officers were on scene within eight minutes of the 999 call, and two 18-year-old men were detained and arrested at the scene for possession of an offensive weapon. They are both currently in police custody.

Three Rivers Academy instigated a temporary lockdown procedure as a precaution to safeguard staff and students while officers carried out their initial enquiries. This has now been lifted and students allowed to go home.

Police said Three Rivers Primary School and Toad Hall Nursery also placed themselves into lockdown after communication with Three Rivers Academy. These have now also been lifted and staff and children have left both sites.

Elmbridge Borough Commander Inspector Chris Thoday said: “We take any report of this nature extremely seriously and had officers at the scene within minutes.

“The school and other education facilities nearby also quickly instigated their well-prepared safeguarding plans to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.

“We fully understand how concerning incidents like this are for our community and our investigation into the circumstances continues.

“Anyone with information which could assist us is asked to contact police if they have not already been spoken to.”

Meanwhile, a dad-of-two who secretly recorded women through their home windows during the night has confessed to a series of voyeurism offences, as police urged dozens of potential victims to step forward.

Anthony Durkan, 36, from Islington, North London, admitted guilt to 19 voyeurism charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The crimes he confessed to all took place last year, except for one incident on January 12, 2020.

This came on top of guilty pleas he had already entered for seven voyeurism charges on March 26 at the same court — taking the total count of offences to 26.

Prosecutor Edward Kalber described Durkan, who has two children, as someone who “poses a real risk to women and girls in our communities”. Mr Kalber informed the court: “He was filming them in their private residences in various states of undress.”

The Metropolitan Police revealed they are working to trace further victims after uncovering a concealed gallery on his mobile device “containing hundreds of images and videos of women”.

Officers have issued an appeal to women across north London who might have “noticed unusual activity around their home, especially late at night or in the early hours of the morning” between January 2020 and March 2026. Read the full story here.

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