POLICE surrounded Ridgeway School as pupils made their way home amid rumours.

Officers from the dog section and firearms units arrived at the end of the school day on Wednesday as a precautionary measure to prevent any trouble spilling out.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "We were called at 2.10pm with information suggesting there was going to be disorder in the area of Ridgeway School in Wroughton late in the afternoon.

"The call came from the school."

Headteacher Steve Colledge said: "We had been informed by one Year 11 boy that he felt someone from outside school would be waiting for him.

"As would be usual and routine when we are aware of this type of information we made our local community police aware and said that we would appreciate their presence.

"The police attended at the end of school and checked that no problems would arise."

The incident raised worrying similarities to the hammer attack on Henry Webster last year. Henry was left brain damaged when a gang arrived at the school as children were on their way home.

A concerned mother arriving to collect her daughter from the Wroughton school at around 3.30pm said that she was shocked to be told officers were there from the police's firearms unit.

The mum, who did not want to be named, said: "A woman police officer told me she was from the tactical armed response division in Devizes.

"She said she hadn't got her gun on her because they didn't want to scare the children.

"I'm actually not sending my child to school.

"I'm obviously not going to be sending my child into a school where they think they need armed police.

"Shortly after Henry Webster was attacked, my child was threatened."

The worried mum contacted the school for reassurance on Thursday, but said that in spite of being promised someone would contact her to explain the situation she did not receive a call back.

Yesterday she again kept her child home for fear of what could happen at the school.

"All I can say is that I understand what Mrs Webster said about getting no help from the school now.

"I had no help when one of my children was bullied and now I don't feel they are taking my concerns seriously.

"This is not good enough, my child has got exams coming up.

"I think a lot of parents don't even realise the police were at the school this week, because their children get straight on the bus.

"I only knew about it because I was there."