Terrifying images show the moment police burst into a classroom after a girl was stabbed at Thorpe St Andrew School which was put on lockdown – a 16-year-old boy has since been arrested
Terrifying images show the moment armed police stormed a school as pupils hid under desks after a girl was stabbed. Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident at Thorpe St Andrew School on Laundry Lane, near Norwich.
Parents have spoke of their fear as the school was plunged into lockdown and children were told to turn their phones off. Norfolk Police said a teenage girl was rushed to hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
A Norfolk Police spokesperson said officers were called just after 10.24am and a 16-year-old boy has now been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning. One pupil who was able to make contact with their family sent a text reading ‘I am very scared’, while another sent a message saying they ‘just want to go home,’ reports the Mail.
Police drones were also on the scene as officers searched for the suspect, who is thought to have fled after jumping over a fence, before an arrest was made, the publication said.
A BBC reporter at the scene says around 100 concerned parents gathered outside the school. One said she received a “flurry” of messages after students were told to “hide under desks”. “They were all really frightened, all the blinds had been closed.
“Even the teacher in her classroom is under the desks with them and they aren’t leaving. The relief is I am getting the messages through and they are all together but I think we are all feeling a bit sick inside. We just want to have cuddles and know everyone is all right.”
Parent Adam received a call from his eldest daughter and “headed straight down” to the school. He said: “I spoke to my son. He called me back and said they had been locked down in the classroom – I haven’t heard from my daughter which is concerning.”
He said it was a “good school” held in “high regard”, which is why the family chose it.
Darren Evans, a father whose daughter is in year eight, told the Eastern Daily Press: “The communication from the school has been shocking.
“If it were not for Facebook and the news, I would have had no idea what was going on. I last heard from my daughter an hour ago. There’s been a total lack of communication.”
Another parent added: “To hear nothing from the school, it’s terrifying. Your mind sort of starts wheeling, you’ve got kids in the school, you don’t know what they want.
“To have no information whatsoever about what was going on, with all this going on in the world right now, your mind instantly goes to the worst.”
In an email to parents, the school said it went into a “full lockdown” with children and teachers staying in their classrooms. While one student was taken to hospital with minor injuries, it said “everyone else is safe”.
It said: “The police have confirmed we can now come out of lockdown, and we are now focused on ensuring all children feel supported by staff. The school is closing at 13:00.
“For students that aren’t able to leave at that time, we will hold them safely in the school hall.”
Laundry Lane has been closed, police said A police spokesperson said: “This incident is not believed to be linked to a hate crime reported at the same school last week.”
Owen Jenkins, chief executive officer at the Broad Horizons Education Trust which runs Thorpe St Andrew School, has released a statement. “We have clear procedures in place and our staff acted swiftly,” he said.
“One of our students was injured and is now being treated in hospital for minor injuries. This has obviously been a distressing experience for our whole community and our focus now is on making sure all students feel supported as we begin to understand what happened.”
The Labour MP for Norwich North says the incident is both “incredibly serious and deeply alarming”. Posting on X, Alice MacDonald wrote: “Immediately, we need to give the police time to ensure that everyone at the school is safe.
“My thoughts are with all of them and their families, especially the victim who has been taken to hospital. My office is trying to get the latest information to understand exactly what has happened. I will keep you updated as I learn anything.”