Police rush to Portlethen primary school as man 'swinging knife' seen near gates

Police rush to Portlethen primary school as man 'swinging knife' seen near gates A man seen 'swinging a knife' near the gates of Portlethen Primary School in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire, has not been traced by Police Scotland despite 'extensive enquiries' Officers were called to a school in Aberdeenshire after a man was spotted 'swinging a very long knife' near the gates. Police Scotland said it received a report of a man in possession of a weapon on Cookston Road in Portlethen at around 4pm on Tuesday. Officers attended the street, where Portlethen Primary School is located, but were unable to find the man. In an update on Wednesday afternoon, the force said officers carried out "extensive enquiries", including reviewing CCTV footage and conducting door-to-door enquiries, but there were no further sightings of the man. Police Scotland said no further enquiries are planned at this stage, but officers will continue to assess any new information that comes to light. The force said there is no suggestion of any risk to the public. The Daily Record reports a parent of a pupil at the school raised the alarm, writing in a local Facebook group that when they collected their child from school at around 3.23pm, they walked past a man "carrying a very long knife" and "swinging it about". They added: "He was walking towards Portlethen Primary School. Police have been contacted and are sending officers out [to] the area." The parent said the man was wearing black clothing, trousers with red stars on the knees, with his hood up and a zip covering his face. Chief Inspector Gareth Hannan said: "This area was busy at the time of the report, and no further sightings were received. Following extensive CCTV reviews and door-to-door enquiries, no criminality has been established. "There is nothing to suggest there is any risk to the public. Enquiries are now complete, however any new, relevant information will be assessed." A spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council said: "We are aware of an incident in the Portlethen area yesterday and understand that this may be causing concern within our community. "We can confirm there is no connection to any schools in the Portlethen area. There are no ongoing issues or concerns at the school, and our pupils continue to learn as usual." Anyone with any information or concerns is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 2189 of September 1, 2026.