'No students or staff were in danger', College of West Anglia states after police detain man

A college principal has said he understands parents and students may feel unsettled after emergency services were called to the main campus in Lynn for more than an hour this morning.

The College of West Anglia site on Tennyson Avenue was closed due to an incident which did not involve a student.

A statement by the college says no students or staff were in danger and the temporary campus evacuation was a precautionary measure supported by the police.

Principal David Pomfret said: “I understand that some students and parents may be feeling unsettled as a result of today’s incident.

"The safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance. I believe that our staff dealt with the situation swiftly and appropriately and at no point were students at risk. However, we will of course review our response to the incident to identify any areas we could have managed more effectively.”

Officers were called around 7.45am after a man arrived at the main reception area.

The college said the man was in an agitated state and staff were unable to communicate with him in a reasonable way so the security team was called.

When the police arrived on the scene, the man, who is not thought to be from the local area, was detained and removed from the campus.

The college statement added: "Once the police had completed the necessary safety checks, they advised us that the site could be re-opened and students and staff were then able to return to the campus."

Staff began to return to the campus from their temporary location at Lynnsport.