A man has been taken from the Ōtāhuhu College grounds in handcuffs.

"Terrified" parents have spoken of their relief after three people were arrested by armed police following a lockdown in two south Auckland schools.

Both Ōtāhuhu College and nearby King's College were placed in lockdown on Friday morning. Lockdown was lifted about 11am.

Two men could be seen handcuffed at the scene outside Ōtāhuhu College. One man, in a dark T-shirt and shorts, sat on the footpath near the school.

EMILY FORD/STUFF Police cars were seen patrolling the area.

His head hung low, with his hands tied behind his back, while police spoke to him.

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A second man ducked his head as he was led away to an unmarked police vehicle.

Police, AOS and the dog squad swarmed King's and Ōtāhuhu colleges in Auckland.

Inspector Matt Srhoj of Counties Manukau police said three people were in custody after the incident which began earlier in the morning when a "suspicious vehicle" was spotted and failed to stop for police in Māngere.

Officers on the police eagle helicopter saw the vehicle approach Ōtāhuhu College around 9.30am, and three people entered the property.

Srhoj said one of the men was found "hiding in a hallway" in the school.

EMILY FORD Armed Offenders Squad members were seen throughout the area.

"Two offenders were quickly apprehended, however a third offender remained outstanding for a period," Srhoj said.

"Armed police, who happened to be nearby, came to assist as a precaution, while Ōtāhuhu College and nearby King's College were placed in lockdown also as a precaution while efforts were made to locate the third offender.

"He was found a short time ago hiding in a hallway at the school." No weapons were found on the man.​

EMILY FORD/STUFF The police were looking for an offender in the area on Friday morning.

'WE'LL LOOK AFTER THEM'

Ōtāhuhu College principal Neil Watson said he was "really impressed" by the way staff and students handled themselves during the lockdown.

Standard practice in a lockdown was to get into the "darkest corners of the classroom", something most schools practice, he said.

GOOGLE MAPS Ōtāhuhu College was the centre of police activity.

Watson said staff and students did "exactly they were supposed to do", calmly and orderly.

In his five years as principal, the school had not previously needed to go into lockdown.

After the lockdown was lifted, they held an assembly to debrief students and offer support, he said.

EMILY FORD/STUFF Witnesses said a large police presence was felt in the area.

"There will be some students, families and staff that will be disturbed by it, that's understandable."

Most students had since gone home but a few remained.

"The ones who don't have anyone at home we'll look after them in the library until 3pm."

Watson could not confirm reports one of the offenders was wearing an Ōtāhuhu College school uniform, as he did not see them.

PARENTS WAIT FOR NEWS

A large group of parents were still waiting outside the Ōtāhuhu College front gates after the incident had ended.

A parent, Nancy, who only gave her first name, said it was "pretty terrifying".

Nancy hadn't been able to speak to her 14-year-old daughter as she didn't have a phone.

Now the lockdown had been lifted it would be up to students if they wanted to leave early for the day, she said.

"They're meeting with the kids now."

Fau Pritchard, a parent with three children at the school, said they got a text from the school to say it was in lockdown.

"We rushed here, I'm worried about the kids inside," she said.

Pritchard said they had been told students were safe. Other parents said they were anxiously waiting for news.

Ōtāhuhu College sent a text to the parents confirming there was an incident at the school and it was in lockdown as a result.

"Yes the students are safe and we have the police here and dealing with the incident," the message said.

"Please do not ring the school as we need the phones to be clear."

Students at King's College had texted family members to say they were locked in their classrooms, one parent said.

SCHOOLS IN LOCKDOWN, OFFENDER SEEN WEARING SCHOOL UNIFORM

An Ōtāhuhu College teacher said the lockdown bells went off about 10.10am.

Staff members received an email shortly before 11am to say the offender had been caught, the teacher, who did not want to be named, said.

Shortly after they saw multiple armed police around the school with dogs.

They were told one of the offenders was wearing a school uniform, so was possibly an ex-student, the teacher said.

Bollards had recently been installed, so it was possible the offenders tried to drive through the school to escape police but were unable to make it through, the teacher said.

A spokesperson for the nearby Royal Auckland Golf Club said they had been told by police to keep all their members off the course and inside, until further notice.