Primary school evacuated after teacher finds fake guns in gym cupboard

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Shock: Parents and teachers were stunned by the discovery of the weapons (file picture)

Over 130 children were evacuated from a primary school after a cache of replica guns were found in a gym cupboard.

A member of staff at the Glasgow school found two holdalls containing fake pistols and rifles, as well as balaclavas and ski masks, behind bean bags and gym mats on Friday morning.

After reporting the discovery to senior staff, the school evacuated pupils and teachers as they called in police to investigate.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "A number of weapons were discovered in a cupboard in the school by a member of staff. They were examined and have been found to be replicas."

Officers searched the whole of Blairtummock Primary and teachers were questioned about the weapons.

Parents were reported to be reluctant to send their children back to the school yesterday because of the scare.

A police spokesman said it was still unclear how the guns came to be in the building; "We are making inquiries as to how they got there."

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman insisted the incident was reported immediately and "at no time was there any threat" to staff or children.

She said: "The headteacher acted entirely appropriately in immediately calling the police, and their advice was taken as to how best to proceed."

The school's headteacher Mrs Shelagh Delahunt has written to all parents to reassure them and explain the situation.

The spokeswoman added: "We apologise to parents who want the school to provide information as to the exact nature of the incident. This is a matter for the police, and something we cannot comment on."

Parent Louise Sinclair, 27, who lives near the school, has three children there, aged between five and eight.

She said: "As soon as I was told, I was terrified. I thought of a gunman, a madman running about the school.

"There were a lot of rumours about bombs and all sorts of things. But we only found out today from the radio and the papers it was guns that had been found.

"I do not think it was handled very well. I know the headteacher wasn't allowed to say anything to us, but you would have thought she would have said something and we never knew anything.

"Yesterday, I wasn't going to send the kids into school because I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know if the school was safe enough.

"There should be more security in that school. I think there should be a camera at least round at the front door so they can see people walking in and out."