Armed police have stormed Bath hospital after a sighting of a ‘man with a large knife’.
Firearms cops rushed to Royal United Hospital in Combe Park at around 10.15am this morning (Friday) after staff received two threatening phone calls.
A short time later, at around 10.35am, a man was reportedly on the hospital grounds with what is thought to be either a sword or machete.
A worker snapped a photograph of the suspect – a white male, possibly aged in his 40s, carrying a long item.
The entire hospital was put on lockdown, as was a nearby primary school, as officers attempted to hunt down the potentially dangerous male.
One woman, who was locked inside, told Wiltshire 999s: “I am at the hospital and it is in lockdown due to some kind of security threat.
She added: “[Staff] mentioned that it’s someone who is not very happy and possibly wants to hurt people. We’ve heard someone was carrying a machete.”
The Accident and Emergency Department was also closed, with a number of casualties with minor injuries queuing up outside – as a doctor apologies for the inconvenience.
Four Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) ambulance crews – with staff in full body armour – were in attendance alongside Avon and Somerset Police.
A force spokesperson said: “We have been responding to an incident in the vicinity of Royal United Hospital, in Bath, this morning (Friday 2 February).
“Hospital staff contacted the police at approximately 9.45am to report they had received a telephone call from an unknown male who made verbal threats.
“A police presence was already at the hospital for an unrelated matter, who liaised with hospital security teams.
“A second call making verbal threats was received at about 10.15am and further officers were also dispatched to attend the scene, including firearms officers.
“We received a report of a man carrying an item, which there were concerns could have been a bladed weapon, in the vicinity of the hospital at approximately 10.35am, but at this moment in time that has not been confirmed.
“Enquiries are ongoing to identify the man in question to establish what they were in possession of.
“The Royal United Hospital decided as a precaution to go into a lockdown. We advised a local primary school to also go into lockdown as a precaution too, but both have now been lifted.
“We’d like to reassure the public that there have been no reported injuries and a police presence remains in the area.”
The police helicopter circled the Royal United Hospital for around one hour as armed police on the ground searched the site for the suspect.
Cancer patients arriving at the hospital this morning said they were worried about missing vital treatment after not being allowed into the hospital.
One woman, 76, said: “It was pretty scary. My husband is here for cancer treatment and we were not allowed to get in the building.
“Thankfully the lockdown was only for an hour or so and we managed to get in.
“Yes, we were worried but also my husband can’t go without his treatment and we were more worried about missing that than what else was going on.”
One nurse who works at the hospital said staff were told to stay in pairs and not to go outside.
They said: “I can’t say much but we’ve all been told not to go outside or around the site on our own and stay in pairs. I think they are concerned he might returned.
“There are police in undercover cars patrolling too.”
