A number of schools went into lockdown following reports of a man with a machete.

A nursery in Washington, Tyne and Wear, confirmed it had gone into lockdown early in the morning “to keep everyone safe due to an ongoing incident”.

Northumbria Police said it was aware of social media reports of a “man in possession of a machete”, but said that the reports were from Wednesday evening.

A spokesperson confirmed there was no ongoing incident in the area, and added: “We are aware that a small number of schools have taken the decision themselves to go into lockdown.”

They confirmed the police were “aware of posts on social media in relation to a man suspected to be in possession of a machete in the Lambton area of Washington”.

Officers confirmed they were looking into the reports, and that there would be an increased police presence in the area to provide reassurance to residents.

Manager Deborah Troup said Little Treasures Nursery “went into lockdown and closed early today to keep everyone safe due to an ongoing incident surrounding the Washington area”.