School 'in lockdown' with teacher left 'bleeding' and children 'crying' after 'intruders stormed gates'

A school in the North East was forced into lockdown this afternoon after multiple intruders broke in and allegedly assaulted a teacher.

Several police vans descended on Manor Community Academy in Hartlepool this morning as officers responded to reports of "violence" - and later made two arrests.

Parents were urged to go to the school and collect their children, while a witness said: "There are kids crying and everything. It's really bad."

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "At 11.30am on Thursday, April 3, police were called to Manor Community College in Hartlepool after reports a teacher had been assaulted.

"No weapons were reported to have been used and no other pupils injured.

"As a precaution, the school put itself on lockdown. Officers attended to the scene and two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of assault and there is no ongoing threat to the pupils or staff within the school."