Man arrested for possession of a firearm after incident near Swindon school

A police car parked outside the entrance to Swindon Academy in Beech Avenue

A man’s been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence following an incident near a school in Swindon yesterday.

Armed police were called to a report of a man having pointed a gun out of the window of an address in Beech Avenue at around 12.15pm.

Swindon Academy staff were told to lock down the school, with teachers racing to ensure the safety of their pupils by keeping them indoors and locking gates.

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Officers seized an air rifle and a knife from the address matching the description given by a member of the public.

An investigation continued throughout the day and this morning, a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He is currently in custody in Gablecross.

Insp Steve Love said: “Although nobody was injured during this incident, the actions of this individual caused an understandable amount of concern and distress to those living in the local area.

“Residents may have seen a heightened police presence in the Beech Avenue area yesterday afternoon as we responded to this initial report. Please be reassured that we take reports of this nature extremely seriously and will always deal as robustly and efficiently as we can.”

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