Armed police swoop on housing estate as school 'put on lockdown'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Armed police have swarmed on a housing estate in a series of raids for an 'ongoing operation'.Several vans and firearms cops have been pictured at the scene in Portrack, County Durham, this morning, the Mirror reports.The nearby Tilery Primary School has also issued an alert to parents, stating: "Due to an ongoing police incident on the Portrack estate, if your child is coming to school, can you please take them to the main hall."One witness told Teesside Live: "Armed police everywhere St Anne's Terrace.

School on full lock down taking all the kids to the main hall no parents allowed into the school grounds".Images and video taken close to the scene showed officers entering a single residence in the area. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Police have also been spotted on Hertford Road - 1.9 miles from Portrack.One witness told Teesside Live, the road was closed and officers arrived around an hour and a half ago.Both Cleveland Police and Durham Police are said to be in attendance.In a statement, police said: "Police are currently carrying out a series of warrants in the Stockton area as part of an ongoing operation.“Armed and unarmed officers from Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police are involved in the activity as well as specialist search officers and dog section.

A cordon remains in place at these addresses.“We will issue further information on this activity as soon as possible." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.