Aberfan incident: armed police officers deployed, school and childcare centre in lockdown after serious assault in South Wales

Childcare facilities are in lockdown and armed officers have been deployed in the Welsh village of Aberfan after reports of a serious assault.

South Wales Police has said that residents surrounding Moy Road are being urged to avoid the area after the incident, which took place at 9.10am on Tuesday morning (December 5). One person has been taken to hospital after paramedics delivered "advanced critical care".

A local school and childcare centre have both been put into lockdown while police deal with the incident. Trinity Childcare and Family Centre said: "We are currently in lockdown as a precaution due to an incident within the community. All staff and children are safe."

Rhiannon Stephens Davies, head teacher of the nearby Greenfield School, said: "We are aware of an ongoing police incident in Aberfan. We just wanted to reassure you that as a precaution we are keeping the pupils safe inside the building, and all perimeter gates are locked."

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called today at approximately 9.10am to reports of an incident in Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil. We sent one emergency ambulance, one air ambulance and one Cymru High Acuity Response unit to the scene where advanced critical care support was delivered. We conveyed one patient by road to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff for further treatment."