Germany school alert: Police confirm reports of 'gunman on loose' in Menden were false alarm

Armed police deployed to town as children locked in classrooms during alert

(Getty Images)

A false alarm has caused a German school to be put on lockdown amid fears of an armed man on the loose.

Children were instructed to lock themselves in classrooms as large numbers of armed police and helicopters arrived on the scene in Menden on Wednesday.

Police said no one had been injured in the incident and investigations were still underway into the source of the alert at the Hönne-Berufskolleg.

The local government in Arnsberg confirmed the incident was a false alarm and thanked the emergency services for their swift response.

A spokesperson previously urged people to follow security services' instructions over reports of an attacker.

Germany has seen a number of shootings at schools, including a 17-year-old student's murder of 15 people in Winnenden in 2009.

The country also remains on high alert following a wave of Isis-inspired terror attacks, prompting a nationwide crackdown on extremism.

A 35-year-old Russian citizen was arrested in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, on allegations of financially supporting Isis and drug dealing on Tuesday, while two men from Nigeria and Algeria are to be deported because of terror links.