Want the top news headlines sent to your inbox daily? Sign up to our FREE newsletter below Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Schools in the Fenham area were put on lockdown on Tuesday after a woman was seen with what was thought to be a firearm - it was later revealed to be a walking stick.

Officers were scrambled to Fenham at around 12pm following a report that a woman was on Fenham Hall Drive with a gun.

After an extensive search and investigation Northumbria Police established that the offending item was in fact a “folded walking stick”.

During the incident teachers at the Sacred Heart Catholic High School were advised to keep pupils inside while police carried out a search of the area.

Other schools in the area also took the decision to keep pupils inside.

One parent, whose 17-year-old daughter attends the sixth form, said she feared the worst when she discovered the school was on lockdown.

The worried mum, who did not wish to be named, said: “I think because of everything that goes on in the world, your mind over thinks things.

“It was quite worrying because I got a text from my daughter saying she had just been out for her lunch and they all got rushed back in.

“She thought there was something going on in the school. She was quite upset, wondering how long she’d have to be there

“She text me saying that someone had seen a woman with a gun so that must have been what was going on.

“It was worrying when she told me there was police outside, that must have been hard for the kids.”

Inquiries have continued and officers are now satisfied that what the caller saw was a woman carrying a folded walking stick.

Central Area Command Chief Inspector John Heckels said: “The caller did absolutely the right thing, they were concerned about what they had seen and believed it to be a firearm and reported it to police. Thankfully this has turned out not the be the case and it was in fact a walking stick.

“We know this incident has caused some concern to the local community and I’d like to thank them for their co-operation while we carried out our enquiries into this incident and hope they feel reassured this was a call made in good faith.”