A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after allegedly threatening to stab classmates and rape a teacher in a Friday 13th classroom massacre.
The pupil at Heathfield School in Taunton, Somerset, is claimed to have posted the hit-list of classmates he wanted to target on Facebook and made threats to children in person.
Worried parents kept many children away from lessons today as police officers patrolled the school grounds.
One grandmother said: "My grandson expressed concern about attending school today and Friday when I picked him up.
"He told me about the threats from a pupil in the same year as him and pointed out that only about 12 of his class of roughly 28 actually attended school having been kept at home by their parents.
"My grandson said there were four uniformed police officers at the school today.
"I heard today that the school recommended that children leaving to go home for lunch should be met by their parents.
"This strongly suggests a real risk and the school's responsibility no doubt ends at the school gates.
"I have kept my grandson off school today.
"I do not know about tomorrow as my daughter will be back but until this lad's whereabouts is known, I feel nobody is safe.
"He seemed a nice person but seemed to have a problem. He is smart but didn't seem quite right in the way he spoke and his expressions."
Police swooped on 1,388-pupil Heathfield Community School in West Monkton on the outskirts of Taunton, Somerset, after the threats were made online.
The boy was arrested and freed on bail.
School head Peter Hoare told parents: "I appreciate that this has been a cause of concern for students and parents.
"I would like to reassure you that we have taken this very seriously and that all the right steps have been taken to ensure the safety of everyone at the school.
"While I cannot go into detail, I can confirm that the individual involved is not in school.
"We are confident that appropriate steps have been taken and the school will be open as usual and attendance is expected.
Parent Charmayne Kelland said on Facebook: "If the lad has been arrested then can someone explain why are the police still there and why tomorrow do the children who go home (walking) for lunch need to picked up by parent or career and dropped off again?
"He's been released on police bail. Really NO WAY am I sending my daughter to school."
An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "The allegation involves threats made about a school in the West Somerset policing area.
"The arrest was made to safeguard the individual and enable our enquiries into the allegations to continue.
"He has since been released on police bail.
"We continue to work with the school and other agencies and will not be making any further comment."
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