Holweide school incident: German police launch 'major operation' and tell public to stay away

A major operation has been launched in after an incident as special forces searched school buildings before giving the all clear.

The police said emergency services rushed to Holweide, an area of Cologne, on Wednesday. Officers closed off the area around Gesamtschule Köln-Holweide - Holweide Comprehensive School - and asked people to avoid the area.

Local police - Polizei Köln tweeted: "In the area of #Holweide there is a major police operation. We have many emergency personnel on site and are clarifying the situation.

"We are closing off the area around Holweide Comprehensive School. Please avoid the area. Follow us here and on ." The has contacted Polizei Köln and Gesamtschule Köln-Holweide for further information on the incident.

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However in an update the force confirmed it was a false alarm. In a post of their website a Polizei Köln spokesperson said: "A false alarm at the comprehensive school on Burgwiesenstrasse in the Holweide district caused a stir among students, teachers and concerned parents on Wednesday (October 30) shortly after 2 p.m. and triggered a major police operation.

"After a search of the school buildings by special forces, the police gave the all-clear at 4:30 p.m."

The force said that an investigation into the cause of the false alarm is ongoing.