STAFF and patients were locked inside Furness General Hospital after a man was spotted in the grounds carrying a weapon.

The hospital buildings were all locked and staff and patients were kept inside this afternoon after a suspicious man with an air weapon was spotted in the fields surrounding the hospital.

This included Barrow Day Nursery which is based within the grounds of the hospital.

The nursery's shutters were lowered and no one was allowed in or out of the building during the incident.

Sources at the hospital told The Mail that a man wearing camouflage gear had been spotted carrying a gun.

It is understood the sighting was made by someone inside the hospital.

One hospital employee who was in work at the time said “it was awful not knowing” what was going on during the incident.

They added that colleagues said the man was later seen in the Abbey Road area.

Armed police carried out a full search of the area and surrounding streets but could not find the man. A police presence remained at the hospital for a short time afterwards.

Police said: “Police were called at 12.21pm today following a report of a man seen in a field near Furness General Hospital with a suspected air weapon.

“A full search of the area has been carried out and nothing suspicious has been found.

“Police would like to reassure people there is no perceived risk to the public at this time.

“The hospital is open as usual.”

The hospital and other facilities within the grounds were re-opened at around 1.45pm.

A spokesman for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Furness General Hospital, said the trust would not be issuing a statement about the incident as it was a police matter.