Schools in Sydney‘s north-west have emerged from lockdowns following a major police operation in response to a firearms scare.
Police were called to Guardian Avenue in Beaumont Hills, about 40km north-west of Sydney’s CBD, shortly before 10.30am on Monday.
It followed reports a person had been seen carrying firearms while walking along the footpath in the area, a police spokesperson said.
Schools were urged to lockdown as a precaution while members of the public were told to avoid the area.
Following wide-ranging searches, police were able to establish the firearms were toys that had been picked up from a local cleanup, NSW Police said.
Shortly after midday, police confirmed the operation had concluded and lockdowns at nearby schools had been lifted.
‘Police treat all reports seriously and thank the community for their assistance,’ a spokesperson said in a statement.
A staff member at First Steps Learning Academy in Beaumont Hills told the Daily Mail the preschool had also entered lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Officers are pictured at the scene in Beaumont Hills on Monday morning
Schools entered lockdown and the public was urged to avoid the area as police investigated
Concerned parents from nearby schools took to social media to ask after the safety of their children during the scare.
‘Any further news on the police operation in Beaumont Hills? My daughter is currently locked down in her school nearby,’ one father wrote.
‘And not a single word from my kids’ school which is in lockdown,’ another wrote.
‘Keeping parents in the dark like this is not fair or a good idea.’
