Three people have been injured in a “major incident” at a school in West Wales.
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Carmarthenshire has been closed as investigations continue into a reported stabbing on Wednesday, Dyfed-Powys Police said.
A local councillor who serves on the school’s governing body said she had been told the incident involved a stabbing.
Those injured were said to be receiving treatment.
One person has been arrested and police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Emergency services remain at the scene and the force said it is working closely with the school and Carmarthenshire County Council.
Pupils were released from the school at about 3.20pm, after it had been in lockdown since about 11am.
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A spokesperson said: “We are aware that there is footage of the incident currently circulating on social media.
“We would ask that this is removed to avoid contempt of court and distress to those affected.”
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Police have asked people not to speculate as the investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for Ysgol Dyffryn Aman said the family members of the injured have been informed.
“We would like to reassure parents and the public that the incident has been contained,” they added.
The comprehensive school in the town of Ammanford has about 2,000 pupils.
Police did not give the ages of those hurt or of the person who has been detained.
Image: Parents wait at the gates of Amman Valley school. Pic: PA
Image: Emergency services at the scene
‘Deeply worrying’
Hundreds of parents were assembled outside the school by 3pm, waiting to collect their children from the school.
Rachel Young, a parent at the school, told Sky News her daughter and other pupils had been “locked” in the classroom.
“She’s fine but they’ve locked them in the classroom” she said.
“She’s scared obviously. She says she’s fine, but they all say ‘I’m fine’ but they’re obviously not going to be and what’s going to happen from now on, I don’t know. We don’t even know if the school’s going to be open.
“I wanted to get here. I rang the school and they said they’re not allowing anyone in or anyone out, but they couldn’t really comment any further than that.”
Image: Pic PA
Image: Emergency services at the scene
Councillor Rob James, who represents Lliedi ward, said: “My thoughts are with the headteacher, teaching staff, parents and pupils of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after today’s major incident.
“I have been in contact with Carmarthenshire Council and will provide any support I can to the school during this difficult time.”
First Minister Vaughan Gething said he was “shocked to hear” about the incident, adding it was “a deeply worrying time for the school, families and community”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his “shock” at the news.
“I want to thank the police and emergency services for their ongoing response and my thoughts are with all those affected,” he said.
In an interview with WalesOnline, Councillor Karen Davies – a LEA governor at the school – said she had been told there was a stabbing.
“I have been told someone has been arrested and that two members of staff have been stabbed, but have no confirmation on how serious the injuries are,” she told the news website.
“I send my thoughts to those injured and all the people there. I know how well the school rehearsed lockdown and I am sure everything is under control.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, described the incident as “violent” and said it was “deeply sad and distressing”.
Adam Price, Senedd member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said: “As we wait for more information to be released, my thoughts, like the rest of us, are with the school’s community.”
Emergency response
A spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service said the service was called shortly after 11.15am to an incident on Margaret Street.
“We sent four emergency ambulances and the hazardous area response team to the scene, where crews were supported by two Cymru high acuity response unit paramedics and an operational manager,” the spokesperson added.
“Advanced critical care support was delivered by the emergency medical Retrieval and Transfer Service in two Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters.”
The Wales Air Ambulance confirmed it was in attendance at an incident in the region.
“We mobilised three critical care teams at 11.30am. Our Dafen and Welshpool based crew were mobilised by air and our Cardiff based crew was mobilised by road,” they said.
The first thing you notice when immigration officers stop a possible illegal moped delivery driver is the speed in which the suspect quickly taps on their mobile.
“We’re in their WhatsApp groups – they’ll be telling thousands now that we’re here… so our cover is blown,” the lead immigration officer tells me.
“It’s like a constant game of cat and mouse.”
Twelve Immigration Enforcement officers, part of the Home Office, are joining colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police in a crackdown on road offences and migrants working illegally.
The West of England and Wales has seen the highest number of arrests over the last year for illegal workers outside of London.
“It is a problem… we’re tackling it,” Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says. He covers all the devolved nations.
“This is just one of the operations going on around the country, every day of the week, every month of the year.”
Image: Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says his team are attempting to tackle the issue
Just outside the Cabot Circus shopping complex, we stop a young Albanian man who arrived in the UK on the back of a truck.
He’s on an expensive and fast-looking e-bike, with a new-looking Just Eat delivery bag.
He says he just uses it for “groceries” – but the officer isn’t buying it. He’s arrested, but then bailed instantly.
We don’t know the specifics of his case, but one officer tells me this suspected offence won’t count against his asylum claim.
Such is the scale of the problem – the backlog, loopholes and the complexity of cases – that trying to keep on top of it feels impossible.
This is one of many raids happening across the UK as part of what the government says is a “blitz” targeting illegal working hotspots.
Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, joins the team for an hour at one of Bristol’sretail parks, scattered with fast food chains and, therefore, delivery bikes.
Image: Border security and asylum minister, Angela Eagle, speaks to Sky News
She says arrests for illegal working are up over the last year by 51% from the year before, to more than 7,000.
“If we find you working, you can lose access to the hotel or the support you have [been] given under false pretences,” she said.
“We are cracking down on that abuse, and we intend to keep doing so.”
There are reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery-driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country – skipping employment legality checks.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat all told Sky News they’re continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally.
But a new Border Security Bill, working its way through Parliament, could see companies fined £60,000 for each illegal worker discovered, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.
“I had them all in to see me last week and I told them in no uncertain terms that we take a very tough line on this kind of abuse and they’ve got to change their systems so they can drive it out and off their platforms,” the minister tells me.
For some of those who arrive, a bike and a phone provide a way to repay debts to gang masters.
There were eight arrests today in Bristol, one or two taken into custody, but it was 12 hours of hard work by a dozen immigration officers and the support of the police.
As two mopeds are pushed onto a low-loader, you can’t help but feel, despite the best intentions, that at the moment, this is a losing battle.
We see the boat from a distance – the orange of the life jackets reflected in the rising sun.
And as we draw closer, we can make out dozens of people crowded on board as it sets off from the shore, from a beach near Dunkirk.
There is no sign of any police activity on the shore, and there are no police vessels in the water.
Instead, the migrants crammed into an inflatable dinghy are being watched by us, on board a private boat, and the looming figure of the Minck, a French search and rescue ship that soon arrives.
Image: Minck, a French search and rescue ship, shadows the boat
The dinghy meanders. It’s not heading towards Britain but rather hugging the coast.
A few of the passengers wave at us cheerfully, but then the boat starts to head back towards the shore.
Image: Sky’s Adam Parsons at the scene
As it nears a different beach, we see a police vehicle – a dune buggy – heading down to meet it.
Normal practice is for French police officers to slice through the material of any of these small boats that end up back on shore.
Two police officers get out of the buggy and wait. A police helicopter arrives and circles above, performing a tight circle over the heads of the migrants.
The police think they might be about to go back on to the beach; in fact, these passengers know that most of them are staying put.
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The boat stops a short distance from the shore and four people jump out. As they wade towards the beach, the boat turns and starts to head back out to sea.
We see the two police officers approach these four men and have a brief conversation.
They don’t appear to check the bags they are carrying and, if they do question them about why they left the boat, it is the most cursory of conversations.
In reality, these people probably don’t speak French but they were almost certainly involved in arranging this crossing, which is against the law. But all four walk away, disappearing into the dunes at the back of the beach.
The first thing you notice when immigration officers stop a possible illegal moped delivery driver is the speed in which the suspect quickly taps on their mobile.
“We’re in their WhatsApp groups – they’ll be telling thousands now that we’re here… so our cover is blown,” the lead immigration officer tells me.
“It’s like a constant game of cat and mouse.”
Twelve Immigration Enforcement officers, part of the Home Office, are joining colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police in a crackdown on road offences and migrants working illegally.
The West of England and Wales has seen the highest number of arrests over the last year for illegal workers outside of London.
“It is a problem… we’re tackling it,” Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says. He covers all the devolved nations.
“This is just one of the operations going on around the country, every day of the week, every month of the year.”
Image: Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says his team are attempting to tackle the issue
Just outside the Cabot Circus shopping complex, we stop a young Albanian man who arrived in the UK on the back of a truck.
He’s on an expensive and fast-looking e-bike, with a new-looking Just Eat delivery bag.
He says he just uses it for “groceries” – but the officer isn’t buying it. He’s arrested, but then bailed instantly.
We don’t know the specifics of his case, but one officer tells me this suspected offence won’t count against his asylum claim.
Such is the scale of the problem – the backlog, loopholes and the complexity of cases – that trying to keep on top of it feels impossible.
This is one of many raids happening across the UK as part of what the government says is a “blitz” targeting illegal working hotspots.
Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, joins the team for an hour at one of Bristol’sretail parks, scattered with fast food chains and, therefore, delivery bikes.
Image: Border security and asylum minister, Angela Eagle, speaks to Sky News
She says arrests for illegal working are up over the last year by 51% from the year before, to more than 7,000.
“If we find you working, you can lose access to the hotel or the support you have [been] given under false pretences,” she said.
“We are cracking down on that abuse, and we intend to keep doing so.”
There are reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery-driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country – skipping employment legality checks.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat all told Sky News they’re continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally.
But a new Border Security Bill, working its way through Parliament, could see companies fined £60,000 for each illegal worker discovered, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.
“I had them all in to see me last week and I told them in no uncertain terms that we take a very tough line on this kind of abuse and they’ve got to change their systems so they can drive it out and off their platforms,” the minister tells me.
For some of those who arrive, a bike and a phone provide a way to repay debts to gang masters.
There were eight arrests today in Bristol, one or two taken into custody, but it was 12 hours of hard work by a dozen immigration officers and the support of the police.
As two mopeds are pushed onto a low-loader, you can’t help but feel, despite the best intentions, that at the moment, this is a losing battle.