Dramatic moment parents tackle knifeman to the floor after spotting him ‘waving meat cleaver’ at primary school

Parents tackled an armed suspect who was reportedly 'waving a meat cleaver' at a primary school today. Dramatic photos show the man being pinned down outside St George's Primary School in Tyldesley, Wigan.

Children were kept in classrooms and parents in the hall while officers swarmed the scene at 3.10pm, the Manchester Evening News understands. Parents from nearby Tyldesley Primary School were asked to collect their children due to the police incident.

Residents said the man could be heard shouting and making threats on Darlington Street and surrounding roads. He then walked towards St George's Primary School with a 'meat cleaver', according to witnesses, before parents and passer-bys wrestled him to the ground.

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One man, who intervened during the stand-off with the armed suspect, told the MEN : “I saw him walking towards the school with a meat cleaver.

“He was making verbal threats, the lads were surrounding him and then that’s when they cornered him and someone wrestled him to the ground. He’s been at it all day rambling on, but never in my life did I think he would go to the school with a meat cleaver.”

Another parent who was the first to call police, said: “It was an accident waiting to happen. Today he sounded very distressed and he’s been using foul language all day. He just sounded incredibly upset and distressed throughout the day.

“You could hear and see him from the back garden brandishing knives. My husband who works from home ran down the stairs and said he’s on the front going into school with a meat cleaver, and I was just on the phone talking to the police straight away and talking through to them