Teenager held as nursery school siege ends

Armed with two swords, the 17-year-old entered the Charles Fourier pre-school in Planoise, a area of housing projects with a big immigrant population on the western edge of Besancon, eastern France, at around 8.30am yesterday. There were around 20 children, aged four to six, in the classroom when the incident began but 14 were released throughout the morning and one "more or less escaped", the Mayor of Besancon Jean-Louis Fousseret said.

Their 17-year-old captor was detained by a specialist gendarme force brought in to manage the situation.

A security cordon had been placed around the school and other classes were evacuated.

Anxious parents and children waited for news outside but school, where police marksmen took up positions outside but did not enter during the incident.

Mr Fousseret said the boy had been treated for depression but had not taken his medication in recent days. He did not confirm reports the youth had requested a gun to commit suicide and said it was not known if there was a connection between the teenager and the school.

The Ministry of Education said the hostage taker had "demands" but did not specify what they were.

Five children and the teacher were believed to be still in the pre-school when the officers entered around lunchtime.

The masked gendarmes pointed their guns at the school's windows and doors as they entered. They were in contact by phone with the teenager before the last group of children was released.

The youth did not threaten the children and allowed them to go to the toilet throughout the ordeal, Education Minister Luc Chatel said from the scene.

Other classrooms were evacuated and a special police force was sent in from Strasbourg.