Police issue new statement after nursery shuts amid claims 'staff held at gunpoint'

Police have issued a new statement after a nursery permanently closed in Oldham amid claims staff members were 'held at gunpoint'.

The Tiddlywinks nursery school in Chadderton suddenly closed its doors on Thursday (October 10), with 'shocked and confused' parents turned away at the door on Friday morning. In a letter sent to parents, nursery bosses said there had been a 'distressing incident [which] occurred on 10/10/24 involving several staff members being held up at gunpoint whilst arriving at a training event in Oldham town centre'.

Bosses also stated a number of other reasons for the closure such as 'significant close family bereavements' and 'unfavourable expectations and demands' from 'official regulators'. The nursery said in its letter that while a number of workers will be taken on by the organisation’s two other branches - in Heywood and Ramsbottom - others 'sadly … will be unemployed from this date forward'.

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Yesterday, Oldham Council said reports of people being held up at gunpoint as 'untrue'. Today (Saturday) Greater Manchester Police issued a new statement on the reported firearms incident.

The force said officers were called to Rock Street in the town centre on Thursday evening to 'reports of a man with an item that appeared to be a firearm'. Searches were carried out but no weapon was found, a GMP spokesperson said. No arrests were made and officers are not looking for anyone, police said in a bid to reassure residents.

In full, a GMP spokesperson said in a statement released this morning (Saturday): "At 7:15pm on Thursday 10 October, we were called to Rock Street in Oldham, to reports of a man with an item that appeared to be a firearm. Police attended and conducted a thorough search of the area to understand the circumstances.

"We would like to reassure residents that initial enquiries suggest there was no firearm or weapon involved with the incident. No arrests have been made and we are not seeking to speak with anyone in connection with this incident.

"GMP will always thoroughly investigate reports of incidents of this nature, and we would like the thank the public for their patience whilst we conducted our investigation."

Parents who arrived at the nursery on Friday reported being turned away at the door, with no alternative provision for their kids.

One parent, who asked not to be named, claimed he only found out from a post online. He had only just joined and paid his fees, he said.

The letter assured parents they will be refunded. One mother said she was 'shocked and confused', adding: "This whole thing is an absolute nightmare.

"I was in disbelief. I couldn’t quite process what he was telling me and how it had happened so abruptly with no warning.

"The letter made me feel very confused as it doesn't really make much sense. We've managed childcare between us today, but for next week and the future we have nothing confirmed.

"A few local nurseries have reached out to help which has been very helpful, but nothing can be finalised until Monday so we are pretty much in limbo until then. It’s been very stressful."

Contacted by the MEN, a nursery manager said they didn't want to comment. An Oldham council spokesperson said of the claims about a firearms incident: "The claims are untrue, so we will not be commenting on them."

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