Four schools and a preschool in West Auckland have entered lockdown after a “verbal threat” was made on Thursday morning.

Police said they are responding to a threat made over the phone towards Rutherford College in Te Atatū Peninsula.

“As a precaution, the school and a neighbouring childcare facility have been advised to lockdown while further inquiries are made,” a police spokesperson said.

At about 12.30pm on Thursday, two armed police officers were at the gates of Rutherford College, with a third officer directing parents.

Rutherford College posted on its website that the school has locked down “due to an incident” in the area.

The father of a pupil at Rutherford College said there were “lots of armed police” outside the school.

Rutherford Primary and nearby Matipo School as well as Te Atatū Intermediate and Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten are also currently in lockdown.

Matipo’s principal Matua Jonnie​ Black said “all tamariki are safe and secure” in their classrooms.

Earlier on Thursday morning a preschool and a college in south Auckland went into a “brief lockdown” after reports of a man armed with a gun in the Randwick Park area.

Police said the reports have not been substantiated.

“Police have been liaising with the schools concerned to provide them with reassurance,” a police spokesperson said.

According to police, the reports have not been substantiated and the college decided to go into lockdown by itself.

An employee from Early Learning Counties Manukau Alfriston College told Stuff they were told tolockdown by police at about 10.30am.

This lockdown lasted for 15 minutes, after which time police gave them the all clear.

The employee said lockdowns happen quite often, with the kindy locking down whenever there may be a police presence in the area.

She said everything was back to normal, and the kids in preschool were all happy.

- Stuff.