A MAJOR police operation has been blamed on students “larking about”.

Scores of officers were called to Deeside College on Tuesday afternoon after a member of the public saw what they thought was suspicious activity.

Witnesses said they saw four police cars and an incident van outside the entrance to the college on Kelsterton Road in Connah’s Quay while a nearby lay-by was cornered off.

Later in the afternoon police officers made door-to-door enquiries at properties in the area.

North Wales Police are refusing to divulge details of the nature of the specific incident, but it appears a member of the public had misconstrued the behaviour of a group of students.

A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “They weren’t deliberately setting out to get police attention. They were larking about and a member of the public got the wrong end of the stick. We have spoken to them about this.”

Connah’s Quay councillor Peter Macfarlane said: “There are all sorts of stories going round the community. As ward member I travel up and down the area a lot and the majority of the students at Deeside College are a credit to the community and conduct themselves very well.”