School pupils were evacuated from the building as worried parents watched on, after a threat was made.
Merseyside Police rushed to Gateacre Community Comprehensive School on Wednesday morning after a worrying phone call. At around 10.50am, pupils and staff were forced to leave the main building and wait on the school field.
Passers-by said they saw pupils standing and sitting around "for ages" as parents parked up nearby after getting text messages and calls from their children. One woman told the ECHO her son called her to explain what was going on and she "rushed" up to the school.
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At around 12.30pm, pupils were still seen crowding on the school field with bottles of water as one passer-by said: "I've lived here for 25-years and this is the first time I've known anything like this to happen here. I was walking past and saw all the kids on the field and a line of cars parked up from the parents just waiting."
Another person walking on by added it was "scary" to think of "what could have been". Others said they were not aware of what was happening but expressed their "worries" over the hoax call to the school.
In a video sent to the ECHO, several police officers can be seen on the school field as enquiries were carried out. A police helicopter could also be seen circling ahead.
Shortly after 12.30pm, school pupils were allowed to leave as they headed home, deep in conversation about the morning's events. One man told the ECHO: "I just saw everyone outside and there were a lot of rumours, you know how things are, so that was worrying but glad it's all cleared. It's a good school."
Emergency services, including a police helicopter, rushed to the scene on Hedgefield Road. Officers said that the large police presence was a precaution and no suspicious packages or devices were found.
One worried parent said they got a call from their child thinking "it was a joke at first" after they were alerted to the alarm. Enquiries into the incident to find who is responsible for the hoax call remain ongoing. Chief Inspector Jim Wilde said: "We take all hoax calls very seriously and will be investigating the incident fully to find those responsible and bring them to justice."
Gareth Jones, Head of Gateacre School, added: "Pupils were temporarily evacuated this morning after a telephone threat was received. Merseyside Police were called and following a search have now declared the school safe."
