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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Molly Dowrick

Why police descended on a school and leisure centre in Gorseinon on Tuesday, April 5

Police swooped on an area outside a Swansea secondary school and its neighbouring leisure centre on Tuesday morning following reports of an alleged assault. Officers were called just after 7.30am to Penyrheol Leisure Centre in Gorseinon.

In a statement, police confirmed one man had been taken to University Hospital of Wales for medical treatment, but said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The Welsh Ambulance Service also confirmed it attended the scene and said it sent one rapid response vehicle, one emergency ambulance and one emergency medical retrieval and transfer service. We reported the latest updates from the scene in our live coverage here.

Parents of pupils at Penyrheol Comprehensive School and other local residents took to social media to warn others of the heavy police presence in the area. They said they believed there had been an assault near the school grounds, and later shared an email from the headteacher of the secondary school which explained the incident was not related to the comprehensive or any of its staff or pupils. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.

Read more: First Cymru cancels more than 80 bus routes in Swansea

In his email headteacher Damian Benney said there had been a "serious assault on a member of the public" at around 7.15am on Tuesday morning outside the neighbouring leisure centre. He added: "As a consequence, there is currently a strong police presence at the front of the leisure centre. The assault has nothing to do with any member of our school community and is totally unrelated to any previous events in the community," he wrote. "The police have reassured us that our pupils are perfectly safe and that being in school is the best place for them."

Police confirmed one man had been taken to hospital after an alleged assault (WalesOnline)
Locals reported a heavy police presence outside the leisure centre and neighbouring secondary school (WalesOnline)
A local resident took this photo of the emergency services outside Penyrheol Comprehensive School at around 8.30am on Tuesday, April 5 (submitted)

A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: "South Wales Police was called just before 7.30am this morning following reports of a man having been assaulted outside Penyrheol Leisure Centre on Pontarddulais Road in Gorseinon. The man has been taken by ambulance to University Hospital of Wales. It is not believed that his injuries are life threatening. Enquiries are ongoing into the incident, which is not connected to Penyrheol Comprehensive or any of its students.

"Anyone who was near Penyrheol Leisure Centre between 7.15am and 7.45am who may have information that could assist our enquiries is asked to contact us quoting reference 2200 11 13 71."

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson added: "We were called this morning, Tuesday April 5, at approximately 7.46am to reports of an incident at Penyrheol Leisure Centre in Gorseinon. We sent one rapid response vehicle, one emergency ambulance and one emergency medical retrieval and transfer service to the scene. One patient was conveyed to University Hospital Of Wales in Cardiff."

South Wales Police has announced that they have been conducting arrest enquiries in the Penybryn area of Llanelli following the incident.

A spokesperson for the police force said: "Following on from reports of a 49 year old man from Llanelli having been assaulted outside Penyrheol Leisure Centre in Gorseinon this morning, officers from South Wales Police have been conducting arrest enquiries in the Penybryn area of Llanelli.

"It is believed that all parties involved in the altercation in Gorseinon are known to each other. No other information is available at this time."

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