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Hamilton, Te Puke high schools in lockdown

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Mon, 2 Jul 2018, 1:46pm
Police outside Hillcrest High School. Photo / Terry Su
Police outside Hillcrest High School. Photo / Terry Su

Hamilton, Te Puke high schools in lockdown

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Mon, 2 Jul 2018, 1:46pm

Two high schools, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, are currently in lockdown.

Hillcrest High School has been advised by police at 2.30pm to begin evacuating.

It has been in lockdown since 1pm and the office is unattended, the school posted on its Facebook page, meanwhile parents of pupils at Te Puke High School say the school is also in lockdown.

A student at Hillcrest High posted on social media that police were in attendance, while a parent of a Te Puke student said she had received an email at 12.30pm from the school saying it was also in lockdown, which was later confirmed by police.

Students at Hillcrest High and parents are commenting on social media about reports of a bomb threat, however that is yet to be confirmed by police.

A police spokesman said police were called to Hillcrest High School at 12.12pm to a "report of information of concern being received".

"The school has been locked down and cordons are in place. Police are at the scene making an assessment."

The email to the Te Puke High School parent states the school was advising parents the school was going into lockdown.

It said parents wouldn't be able to contact their children as they had been instructed not to use their phones until they "received the all clear".

A police media spokesman said police were called to Te Puke High School on Tui St at 10.17am in response to "a report that information of concern had been received".

It is understood the incident was a bomb threat.

The spokesman said police were at the school working with staff and conducting an assessment.

A reporter at the scene said there were about eight police cars outside the school entrance.

He said there was a sign on the school gate saying that it was closed.

"One of the policemen has a gun," he said.

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