HUNDREDS of staff and pupils at a Barkingside school were evacuated from classrooms this afternoon amid claims that a knife-wielding teenager was on the loose in the area.

A "large number" of police arrived as a precaution at Jewish school King Solomon High, on Forest Road, as people at the school were ushered away to a dining hall while officers looked for a suspect.

A young male was detained on Barkingside High Street away from the school, and it is not believed that he entered its grounds.

Lucy Weber, Head of Modern Hebrew at King Solomon, said she thought the alert could have been raised after a police chase ended near the school.

She added: "We were told to go to the dining hall and to stay there until instructed otherwise.

"We then left after a bit. I don't know much about it but I think it was a local incident and not to do with world events."

One parent said they heard there was someone nearby with a knife.

Headteacher at the school, Spencer Lewis, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the police who did a fantastic job of 'better safe than sorry' tactics as well as the school staff and students who were superb throughout the afternoon.

"The incident was one of those very unfortunate events that do happen from time to time but it was handled with the utmost professionalism and care by all concerned."

He added that no staff or pupils had seen anyone suspicious in the school.

Pupils and staff returned to their lessons for most of the afternoon, and went home as normal at the end of the school day.