Hordle CE Primary School locked down over gun alert in field on Woodcock Lane

A New Forest school was briefly locked down over a gun alert this afternoon (Thursday).

Police were called just before 2pm to reports of a male with a pistol in a field on Woodcock Lane in Hordle, a Hampshire police spokesperson said.

Officers called nearby Hordle CE Primary School and advised staff to keep the children inside while they investigated, according to a message sent to parents from head teacher Louise Trim.

“I’m pleased to report this was actioned immediately with the children having minimal awareness of the matter,” she said.

“As always I am incredibly proud of how the staff and children responded. Thankfully just 15 minutes later the police arrived onsite to confirm the matter was resolved and that restrictions could be lifted.”

Officers found a 17-year-old male from Hordle holding a fake toy gun, and “words of advice” were given to the boy and his father, the police spokesperson said.

Miss Trim continued in her message: “As always, whilst these incidents are extremely rare, they do give us the chance to practise our safety procedures, and the whole team dealt with this matter in a very calm manner.”