Schools in Wigan placed into lockdown amid ‘gunmen’ fears
Early afternoon on Wednesday 17th of September there were reports of a man allegedly handling a firearm in the Ashton Market area or the Thomas Gerard car park prompted a swift emergency response. As a precaution, Candfield and The Byrchall High Schools, along with St Oswald’s RC Primary School, were temporarily closed near dismissal time. Some students had already departed when the alert was issued.
Specialist firearms officers were deployed to the town centre, supported by the Greater Manchester Police helicopter, as thorough searches and investigations were carried out. Officers were also seen entering the Thomas Gerard pub on Gerard Street during the operation.
Following an extensive investigation, no threat was identified and emergency services have now stood down. The situation was resolved within just over an hour, and all schools have since safely released their pupils.