Possibly armed motorbike rider forces school lockdown

Police are appealing for public help after reports of a potentially armed motorbike rider seen near a suburban school.

Police are hunting a motorcycle rider in the Stratton area, who may be armed with a gun. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brendan Beckett

A Perth school was briefly locked down amid unconfirmed reports of a suspicious and potentially armed motorbike rider had been seen in the area.

Middle Swan Primary School, in the eastern Perth suburb of Stratton, activated its lockdown protocols late on Monday morning after Western Australia Police received reports of a man acting suspiciously in the suburb just after 11am.

Police are searching for a motorcycle rider in the Stratton area, who may be armed with a gun. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brendan Beckett

“The man was last seen riding a black, red and white off-road dirt bike and is believed to have his face covered,” said a WA Police spokesperson.

“Police received unconfirmed reports the man may be in possession of a firearm.

“A number of police resources are being deployed to the area to locate the individual.”

Anyone with information about the suspicious rider is asked to call police on their non-emergency number – 131 444.

A letter sent from the school to parents and guardians read: “Students were kept in classrooms for a brief period today as advised by local police as a precaution.

“At no time were any students in danger.”

Middle Swan Primary is an independent public school which takes students from years 1-6.

Stratton is a small, mostly residential suburb of Perth, about 20km northeast of the CBD.

The incident comes just days after a school in the outer-northern suburb of Two Rocks went into lockdown when three shots were allegedly fired from a rifle in the school’s car park on Wednesday.

No one was injured in that incident.